Romanos the Melodist — Commentary on Scripture

Daniel 3:12

When in Babylon an image had been made,
And everyone against his will worshiped the lifeless things as though it were alive,
Then, as Scripture tells, three youths,
Having received in their hearts divine guidance, did not leave the straight path,
For they considered the madness of many as a path that leads astray.
And so the steadfast young men did not follow it.
But, advancing on the straight road, always toward the truth,
They mocked the trickery of the Persians,
Or rather, the sainted boys mourned and lamented,
For a righteous person does not rejoice over the destruction of another but with groans prays:
“Hasten, Merciful One; and in compassion come quickly
To our aid, since you are able to do what you will.”

KONTAKION ON THE THREE CHILDREN 2

Daniel 3:16

When they heard these words, the young people Laughed at the great vanity of the king.
However, lest he consider himself to be very wise, The wise youths raised their eyes and said:
“O Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
We have no need to talk this over with them,
For no one answers you if you say foolish things, For thus it is written in the Scripture:
‘Do not give reply to a fool that is of similar kind.’
Therefore, we have chosen to keep silent, and we pray in silence:
‘Hasten, Merciful One, and in compassion come quickly
To our aid, since you are able to do what you will.’ ”

KONTAKION ON THE THREE CHILDREN 12

Daniel 3:28-30

“In spite of myself, then, I revere the God of the Hebrews,
And I command all the people in my land to join in praising him.
‘Come, then, holy children, come forth from the furnace,
For I am convinced that your God is in truth God.’ ” (Nebuchadnezzar)
These things happened in Babylon as the Scriptures says,
At a time when those who had provoked God’s anger were in captivity.
Therefore, my brothers, see to it that you do not grieve
The Master and be given over to the enemy,
For we make him sad if we deny him,
And if we do not hasten to his temples,
and if we do not sing to him everywhere,
“Hasten, Merciful One, and in compassion come quickly
To our aid, since you are able to do what you will.”

KONTAKION ON THE THREE CHILDREN 30

John 1:29

Now the the garment of mourning is rent; we have put on the white robe
Which the spirit has woven for us from the lamb’s fleece of our Lamb and our God;
Sin is taken away, and immortality is given us, our restoration is clear.
The Forerunner has proclaimed it.…
O, the message of the Baptist, and the mystery in it!
He calls the shepherd lamb, and not only a lamb, but one to free from mistakes.
He showed the lawless that the goat which they sent into the desert was ineffective.
“Lo,” he said, “the lamb; there is no longer need of the goat;
Put your hands on him,
All of you who confess your sins,
For He has come to take them away, those of the people, and of the whole world.
For lo, the One whom the Father has sent to us is the One who carries away evil,
Who appeared and illumined all things.”

KONTAKION ON THE EPIPHANY 6.12-13

John 2:3

When Christ was present at the marriage feast, and the crowd of guests were faring sumptuously, The supply of wine failed them, and their joy was turned into distress; The bridegroom was upset; the cupbearers muttered unceasingly; There was this one sad display of penury, And there was no small clamor in the room. Recognizing it, the all-holy Mary Came at once and said to her son: “They have no wine, But I beg you, my son, show that you can do all things, Thou who has in wisdom created all things.” We beg of you, holy Virgin, from what sort of miracles did you know How your son would be able to offer wine when He had not harvested the grapes And had never before worked wonders, as John, inspired of God wrote? Teach us, how, when you had never gazed upon And never made trial of His miracles, How did you summon Him to this miracle? For the question now posed to us in this matter is not simple, As to how you said to your son: “Give them wine,” He who has in wisdom created all things. Let us learn the word which the mother of the God of all said to us: “Listen,” she said, “my friends…

When Christ was present at the marriage feast, and the crowd of guests were faring sumptuously,
The supply of wine failed them, and their joy was turned into distress;
The bridegroom was upset; the cupbearers muttered unceasingly;
There was this one sad display of penury,
And there was no small clamor in the room.
Recognizing it, the all-holy Mary
Came at once and said to her son: “They have no wine,
But I beg you, my son, show that you can do all things,
Thou who has in wisdom created all things.”

We beg of you, holy Virgin, from what sort of miracles did you know
How your son would be able to offer wine when He had not harvested the grapes
And had never before worked wonders, as John, inspired of God wrote?
Teach us, how, when you had never gazed upon
And never made trial of His miracles,

How did you summon Him to this miracle?
For the question now posed to us in this matter is not simple,
As to how you said to your son: “Give them wine,”
He who has in wisdom created all things.

Let us learn the word which the mother of the God of all said to us:
“Listen,” she said, “my friends, instruct yourselves and know the mystery;
I have seen my son working miracles even before this miracle. …

“For I know that I did not know a husband,
And I bore a son—beyond natural law and reason,
And I know that I remained a virgin as I had been.
Do you, O man, ask for a miracle greater than this birth?
Gabriel came to me saying how this one would be born,
He who has in wisdom created all things.

“After my conception, I myself saw Elizabeth call me Mother of God before the actual birth; after the birth, Simeon praised me in song;
Anna greeted me with joy; the Magi from Persia hastened to the manger,
For a heavenly star proclaimed the birth in advance;
Shepherds with angels heralded joy,
And creation rejoiced with them.
What would I be able to ask for greater than these miracles?
Indeed from them I have faith that it is my son Who has in wisdom created all things.”

KONTAKION ON THE MARRIAGE AT CANA 7.5-9

John 2:4

“At the time when I brought forward Heavens and the Earth and all things from a state of nonexistence, I would have been quite able at that time to arrange in order at once all that I had produced; But I introduced a certain well-regulated order. Creation was accomplished in six days— Not that I did not have the power, But in order that the chorus of angels, seeing what I did, each deed in turn, Would deify me, singing a hymn: ‘Glory to Thee, Powerful One, Who hast in wisdom created all things.’ … “Mark what I say, holy one; for at this time I was willing first To announce to the Israelites and to teach them the hope of faith, In order that in the presence of miracles they might learn thoroughly who has sent me, And that they might know with certainty the glory of my Father, And his will, for He desires that in every way I be glorified along with Him by all. For what He who engendered me has done, these things I also do, Since I am consubstantial with Him and His Spirit, I, who have in wisdom created all things. “For if they had understood all these things at the time when they saw t…

“At the time when I brought forward Heavens and the Earth and all things from a state of nonexistence,
I would have been quite able at that time to arrange in order at once all that I had produced;
But I introduced a certain well-regulated order.
Creation was accomplished in six days—
Not that I did not have the power,
But in order that the chorus of angels, seeing what I did, each deed in turn,
Would deify me, singing a hymn: ‘Glory to Thee, Powerful One,
Who hast in wisdom created all things.’ …
“Mark what I say, holy one; for at this time I was willing first
To announce to the Israelites and to teach them the hope of faith,
In order that in the presence of miracles they might learn thoroughly who has sent me,
And that they might know with certainty the glory of my Father,
And his will, for He desires that in every way
I be glorified along with Him by all.
For what He who engendered me has done, these things I also do,
Since I am consubstantial with Him and His Spirit,
I, who have in wisdom created all things.
“For if they had understood all these things at the time when they saw the awesome miracles,
They would understand that I am God before time, even though I have become man.
But now, contrary to order, before the teaching, you have asked for miracles;
And it is for this reason that I delayed a short time in answer to you:
If I was waiting for the time to perform miracles,
It was for this reason alone.
But, since it is necessary that parents be honored by their children,
I shall pay observance to you, Mother, for I am able to do all things,
I, who have in wisdom created all things.”

KONTAKION ON THE MARRIAGE AT CANA 7.13-16

John 2:4

But Christ seeing His mother saying, “Grant me this request,” At once said to her: “What do you wish, woman, my hour has not come.” Certain men made use of this saying as a pretext for impiety; They said that Christ, submitted to necessity, They said that He was a slave to periods of time. … “Now answer, my child,” said the all-holy mother of Christ, “Thou who dost control with measurement the periods of time, how, my son and Lord, dost Thou await a time? Thou who hast regulated the division of the seasons, how dost thou await a season? Thou who art the creator of the visible and the invisible, Thou who, as master, dost day and night regulate The ceaseless revolutions, as Thou dost will them— Thou who hast defined the years in beautifully ordered cycles— How, then, dost Thou await a time for the miracle which I ask of Thee Who hast in wisdom created all things?” “I knew before you told me, revered Virgin, that the wine was just beginning to give out for them,” The Ineffable and Merciful straightway answered His holy mother. “I know all the concerns of your heart which you set in mo…

But Christ seeing His mother saying, “Grant me this request,”
At once said to her: “What do you wish, woman, my hour has not come.”
Certain men made use of this saying as a pretext for impiety;
They said that Christ, submitted to necessity,
They said that He was a slave to periods of time. …

“Now answer, my child,” said the all-holy mother of Christ,
“Thou who dost control with measurement the periods of time, how, my son and Lord, dost Thou await a time?
Thou who hast regulated the division of the seasons, how dost thou await a season?
Thou who art the creator of the visible and the invisible,
Thou who, as master, dost day and night regulate
The ceaseless revolutions, as Thou dost will them—
Thou who hast defined the years in beautifully ordered cycles—
How, then, dost Thou await a time for the miracle which I ask of Thee
Who hast in wisdom created all things?”

“I knew before you told me, revered Virgin, that the wine was just beginning to give out for them,”
The Ineffable and Merciful straightway answered His holy mother.
“I know all the concerns of your heart which you set in motion in this matter;
For within yourself you reasoned as follows:
‘Necessity now summons my son to a miracle,
And He puts it off under the pretext of “the time.” ’
Holy mother, learn now the meaning of the delay,
For when you know it, I shall grant you this favor,
I, who in wisdom have created all things.

KONTAKION ON THE MARRIAGE AT CANA 7.10-12

John 2:11

When Christ, as a sign of His power, clearly changed the water into wine
All the crowd rejoiced, for they considered the taste marvelous.
Now we all partake at the banquet in the church
For Christ’s blood is changed into wine
And we drink it with holy joy,
Praising the great bridegroom,
For he is the true bridegroom, the Son of Mary,
The Word before all time who took the form of a servant,
He who has in wisdom created all things.

KONTAKION ON THE MARRIAGE AT CANA 7.20

John 4:6

Christ, … the source of the breath of life for all, when He was
Weary from a journey, sat down near a spring of Samaria.
And it was the season of burning heat. It was the sixth hour, as the Scripture says,
It was the middle of the day when the Messiah came to illumine those in darkness.
The Spring came upon the spring, not to drink but to cleanse.
The fountain of immortality was near the stream of the wretched woman as though it were in need.
He is tired from walking, He who tirelessly walked on the sea,
He who furnishes
Exceeding great joy and redemption.

KONTAKION ON THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA 9.4

John 4:17-18

[Jesus says] “If you wish that I give you the streams of pure water, Go, and call your husband; I shall not imitate your reproach; I shall not say: ‘You are a woman of Samaria, and how is it that you ask for water?’ I do not increase your thirst; for I have brought you to thirst through thirst. I exaggerated being thirsty and I was tormented by thirst in order that I might reveal you as thirsty. Go, then, and call your husband and return.” The woman said, “I think that I have no husband,” and the Creator said to her: “Truly do you have none? You have five, the sixth you do not possess, So that you may receive Exceeding great joy and redemption.” O wise enigmas! O wise characteristics! In the faith of the holy woman is pictured All the features of the church in true colors which do not grow old; For the way in which the woman denied a husband when she had many, Is just the way the church denied many gods, like husbands, And left them and became betrothed to one Master in coming forth from the water. She had five husbands and the sixth she did not have; and leaving the five Husbands o…

[Jesus says] “If you wish that I give you the streams of pure water,
Go, and call your husband; I shall not imitate your reproach;
I shall not say: ‘You are a woman of Samaria, and how is it that you ask for water?’
I do not increase your thirst; for I have brought you to thirst through thirst.
I exaggerated being thirsty and I was tormented by thirst in order that I might reveal you as thirsty.
Go, then, and call your husband and return.”
The woman said, “I think that I have no husband,” and the Creator said to her:
“Truly do you have none? You have five, the sixth you do not possess,
So that you may receive
Exceeding great joy and redemption.”

O wise enigmas! O wise characteristics!
In the faith of the holy woman is pictured
All the features of the church in true colors which do not grow old;
For the way in which the woman denied a husband when she had many,
Is just the way the church denied many gods, like husbands,
And left them and became betrothed to one Master in coming forth from the water.
She had five husbands and the sixth she did not have; and leaving the five
Husbands of impiety, she now takes Thee, as the sixth, as she comes
From the water,
Exceeding great joy and redemption.…

The espoused church of the nations, then, left these things,
And she hurries here to the well of the baptismal font
And denies the things of the past, just as the woman of Samaria did;
For she did not conceal what had formerly been true from Him who knows all in advance,
But she said, “… Even if I formerly had husbands, I do not now wish to have
These husbands which I did have; for I now possess Thee who hast now taken me in Thy net;
And I am by faith rescued from the filth of my sins
That I may receive
Exceeding great joy and redemption.”

KONTAKION ON THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA 9.11-12, 14

John 4:28

But when the Merciful One was near the spring, …
Then the woman of Samaria, coming from her native village, Sichar, arrived, and she had her urn on her shoulders;
And who would not call blessed the arrival and departure of this woman?
For she departed in filth; she entered into the figure of the church as blameless;
She departed, and she drew out life like a sponge.
She departed bearing water; she became a bearer of God;
And who does not bless
This woman; or rather who does not revere her, the type of the nations
As she brings
Exceeding great joy and redemption?

KONTAKION ON THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA 9.5

John 6:7-9

“Master, we can find only five barley loaves; No one of us brought anything into the desert, But a child is here who has them. O Lover of man, no other resource is possible for us. For an enormous and boundless number of people, O Man of pity, How can these five loaves be sufficient? In addition, he has two fishes. But hurry and nourish them, since Thou art The heavenly bread of immortality.” When Christ heard these words of His disciples, He answered them in this way: “You are mistaken if you do not know That I am the Creator of the universe; I provide for the world; I now know clearly what these people need. I see the desert and that the sun is setting; Indeed I arranged the setting of the sun; I understand the distress of the crowd which is here; I know what I have in mind to do for them. I myself shall cure their hunger, for I am The heavenly bread of immortality.… “Even though you consider carefully, can you as mere men secure nourishment, Or can you, though you are worried, feed the people? Or, Life’ you cannot feed them, have you the power to keep silent? I, alone, as Creator…

“Master, we can find only five barley loaves;
No one of us brought anything into the desert,
But a child is here who has them.
O Lover of man, no other resource is possible for us.
For an enormous and boundless number of people, O Man of pity,
How can these five loaves be sufficient?
In addition, he has two fishes.
But hurry and nourish them, since Thou art
The heavenly bread of immortality.”
When Christ heard these words of His disciples,
He answered them in this way: “You are mistaken if you do not know
That I am the Creator of the universe; I provide for the world;
I now know clearly what these people need.
I see the desert and that the sun is setting;
Indeed I arranged the setting of the sun;
I understand the distress of the crowd which is here;
I know what I have in mind to do for them.
I myself shall cure their hunger, for I am
The heavenly bread of immortality.…
“Even though you consider carefully, can you as mere men secure nourishment,
Or can you, though you are worried, feed the people?
Or, Life’ you cannot feed them, have you the power to keep silent?
I, alone, as Creator take thought for all.
I exist as good, God before the centuries.
And I provide every kind of food for all people;
But you, on beholding the multitude, are worried,
And you do not consider the One who provides abundantly,
As I am set before all, offering
The heavenly bread of immortality.
“I know in advance what you are thinking and what you are saying to each other,
As you see the people, the means of provision, and the hour.
You are reasoning, ‘Who will feed the entire crowd in the desert?’
Well, know clearly, friends, who I am.
I fed Israel in the desert;
I gave them bread from Heaven;
In a region without water, I made water to flow from a rock; …
Since I am
The heavenly bread of immortality.

KONTAKION ON THE MULTIPLICATION OF LOAVES 13.12-17

John 6:11

Christ had brought to Him the five loaves of bread,
And straightway, lifting His eyes to the Father, He said:
“I am doing Thy deeds; for I am Thy Son;
For in the beginning, I created the whole world
Together with Thee and the Holy Spirit; for I am
The heavenly bread of immortality.”
Behold how the masters, the servants of Christ, were arranged and attended
The Servant, Jesus; and they found Him at once.
For the Lord blessed the five loaves of bread,
Speaking to them as follows in spiritual fashion:
“Grow and multiply perceptibly,
And nourish now all who are assembled here.”
And immediately the loaves obeyed the Lord;
They multiplied invisibly
As Christ spoke to them, for He is
The heavenly bread of immortality.

KONTAKION ON THE MULTIPLICATION OF LOAVES 13.19-20

John 6:58-59

All the angels on high marvel at the affairs of earth For earth-born men dwelling here below Are exalted in spirit and reach what is on high As they share in Christ, crucified. For all together partake of His body, As they eagerly come to the bread of life, They hope for eternal salvation from it. Even though visibly, to all appearances, it is bread It sanctifies them spiritually because it is The heavenly bread of immortality. That the bread which we take is the flesh of the Immanuel, The Master Himself was the first to teach us; For when He voluntarily went to His Passion, Christ broke the bread of salvation, And said to His apostles, as it is written: “Now draw near; eat of this, And eating, you will receive eternal life, For this is my flesh, this food, Since really, I whom you behold, am The heavenly bread of immortality. We all know, we who possess complete faith in Christ, That as we approach, eager for the mystic bread And in addition take the cup of salvation, If we are of pure heart and without dissimulation We are all participants of the flesh and blood Of Christ with fait…

All the angels on high marvel at the affairs of earth
For earth-born men dwelling here below
Are exalted in spirit and reach what is on high
As they share in Christ, crucified.
For all together partake of His body,
As they eagerly come to the bread of life,
They hope for eternal salvation from it.
Even though visibly, to all appearances, it is bread
It sanctifies them spiritually because it is
The heavenly bread of immortality.
That the bread which we take is the flesh of the Immanuel,
The Master Himself was the first to teach us;
For when He voluntarily went to His Passion,
Christ broke the bread of salvation,
And said to His apostles, as it is written:
“Now draw near; eat of this,
And eating, you will receive eternal life,
For this is my flesh, this food,
Since really, I whom you behold, am
The heavenly bread of immortality.
We all know, we who possess complete faith in Christ,
That as we approach, eager for the mystic bread
And in addition take the cup of salvation,
If we are of pure heart and without dissimulation
We are all participants of the flesh and blood
Of Christ with faith in Him, and we hope
From this a life like that of the angels;
For, in very truth, the body of the One who suffered,
The very holy body of Jesus Christ is
The heavenly bread of immortality.

KONTAKION ON THE MULTIPLICATION OF LOAVES 13.1-3

John 11:1

Let us all, with longing, run to Bethany to see Christ there, weeping for his friend.
For desiring all things to be ordained by law,
He accomplishes all things in the duality of his nature. He suffers as son of David.
As Son of God, he redeems the whole world
From all the evil of the serpent,
And on the fourth day, he raises up Lazarus,
Taking pity as the one who has compassion on
The tears of Mary and Martha.

Together sustained by faith,
These women announced to Christ and to God the death of their sibling, saying,
“Hurry, come, you who are always present in all places,
For Lazarus whom you love is sick.
Therefore if you come near,
Death will run away, and your friend will be delivered from corruption,
And the Jews will see that you, the Merciful One, have had compassion on
The tears of Mary and Martha.”

KONTAKION ON THE RAISING OF LAZARUS 27.2-3

John 11:12-13

The Creator of all prophesied to the disciples, saying: “Friends and companions, our friend has fallen asleep.”
He was teaching them in advance, mystically,
Because he knows all things as the creator of all things.
“Let us go, then, let us advance and see the strange tomb,
And let us cause the mourning of Mary and Martha to cease
As I raise up Lazarus from the dead,
And, as the Merciful One, have compassion on
The tears of Mary and Martha.”

When they heard these words, all of the apostles as with one voice cried out to the Lord,
“Sleep for human beings is always for their deliverance, not for their destruction.”
And so he spoke to them openly: “He is dead.
As mortal I am away from him. But as God, I know all things.
If we truly arrive at the opportune time,
I will raise the dead, and stop now
The tears of Mary and Martha.”

KONTAKION ON THE RAISING OF LAZARUS 27.4-5

John 12:13

With palms everyone came On the occasion of your arrival, Savior, Crying to you, “Hosanna!” Now all of us sing praises to you From our pitiful mouths, As we wave to you the branches of our souls and cry out: “O you, who are in the highest, save the world That you brought into being, Lord, And blot out our sins, Just as you previously dried The tears of Mary and Martha.” The holy church holds a high festival, Faithfully calling together her children, O Lover of humanity; With palms she meets you and strews garments of joy So that you, along with your disciples and your friends, May establish your feet and grant deep peace for your servants, And release them from oppression, as previously you checked The tears of Mary and Martha. Incline your ear, O God of the universe, And hear our prayers, And snatch us from the bonds of death.… Let those of us who have died because of our sins, and who dwell in the tomb Because of our knowledge of evils, Imitate the sisters of faithful Lazarus as we cry to Christ with tears, and in faith and in love: “Save us, you who willed to become man. And raise…

With palms everyone came
On the occasion of your arrival, Savior,
Crying to you, “Hosanna!”
Now all of us sing praises to you
From our pitiful mouths,
As we wave to you the branches of our souls and cry out:
“O you, who are in the highest, save the world
That you brought into being, Lord,
And blot out our sins,
Just as you previously dried
The tears of Mary and Martha.”
The holy church holds a high festival,
Faithfully calling together her children, O Lover of humanity;
With palms she meets you and strews garments of joy
So that you, along with your disciples and your friends,
May establish your feet and grant deep peace for your servants,
And release them from oppression, as previously you checked
The tears of Mary and Martha.
Incline your ear, O God of the universe,
And hear our prayers,
And snatch us from the bonds of death.…
Let those of us who have died because of our sins, and who dwell in the tomb
Because of our knowledge of evils,
Imitate the sisters of faithful Lazarus as we cry to Christ with tears, and in faith and in love:
“Save us, you who willed to become man.
And raise us up from the tomb of our sins,
You, alone who are immortal.”

KONTAKION ON THE RAISING OF LAZARUS 27.14-17

John 13:5

The sea washes the brick,
The Abyss washes the clay
And it does not destroy its composition,
But keeps its substance intact
And wipes clean its character.
Notice the immensity of the maker,
And yet see what sort of disposition he has for his creatures;
They have reclined and he has stood,
They are fed and he serves,
They are washed and he wipes them clean;
And the feet molded of clay are not cast by his hands into the fire.
Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on us,
You who bear with all and receive all.…
May sleep take me to death,
If I allow you, the Immortal,
To bend down before me, a mortal.
The enemy would laugh at me,
If you deal in this way with me.
Is it not enough that I am considered as yours?
Is it not more than enough that I am considered by you
And called the first of your friends?
But are you to wash my feet, vessels of clay,
You, the Potter of the universe?
And my perishable legs and feet
You, O Redeemer, desire to wash them?
Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on us,
You who bear with all and receive all.

KONTAKION ON JUDAS 33.8, 10

John 13:30

And leaving the sheepfold, [Judas] hurried to the beasts of prey, leaving behind the lambs.

KONTAKION ON JUDAS 33.12

John 18:17

O Good Shepherd, you who have placed his Spirit among the flocks,
Hurry, save your sheep, O Holy One.
Forgetful of the fearful waves
And transformed by the remark of the maiden,
Peter said, “Christ, God, when I was sinking into the depths of the surging wave,
I was deservedly frightened.
And yet, when asked a simple question,
In my denial, I begin to sink.
But in my tears, I cry to you:
‘Hurry, save your Sheep, O Holy One.’ ”
There is another kind of deep here on land
—the maidservant;
But at last, finding my captain,
I flee for refuge to your safe harbor.
O Lord, my tears I will pour out to you for your advocacy,
And I will cry out to you because of this:
“Hurry, save your sheep, O Holy One.”

KONTAKION ON PETER’S DENIAL 34, PROOIMION 1-3