Humanitext Reader

Gregory of Nazianzus · The Suffering Christ §1.174-1.254

Report of the Arrest of Christ and Denunciation of Judas

Passage 4 of 32 · Greek

Summary

The messenger reports the events of Gethsemane, describing Christ's arrest through Judas's deceitful kiss and the flight of the disciples. This is followed by a vehement denunciation predicting the traitor's horrific punishment (hanging, hellfire, and physical rupture) and the futility of his betrayal.

§1.174ἥκει πρὸς αὐτοῖς ἐν τόπῳ τοῦ χειμάρου §1.175πρὸς κῆπον, ᾗχι πολλάκις συνήγετο, §1.176ὃν οὐδ’ ὁ πράτης ἀγνοῶν νύκτωρ μέσον §1.177ἔφθασεν ὄχλον τῶν μιαιφόνων ἐγὼν, §1.178ξιφηφοροῦντας καὶ φονῶντας ἐν θράσει·
He came with them to the place of the torrent, to the garden, where He often used to gather, which even the seller was not ignorant of, and in the middle of the night, he arrived ahead of the crowd of murderers—as I myself witnessed— bearing swords and breathing slaughter in audacity.
§1.179ὃς δὲ προσιὼν ὡς φίλος Διδασκάλῳ §1.180„Ῥαββὶ,“προσειπὼν, „χαῖρ᾿,“ἐφίλει δυστρόπως.
And he, approaching the Teacher like a friend, addressed Him, "Rabbi, hail!" and kissed Him deceitfully.
§1.181Φεῦ, φεῦ, τί χεῖρον τοῦδε τολμήσειε τις;
Alas, alas, what worse deed could anyone dare than this?
§1.182Τί γοῦν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀντέφησε Παῖς ἐμός;
What then did my Child reply to him?
§1.183Οὐκ εἶπεν οὐδὲν πλήν· Ἑταῖρ’, ἐφ’ ᾧ πάρει; “ §1.184Ἄφαρ δ’ ἔβαλλον χεῖρας οἱ μιαιφόνοι· §1.185ἄμμες δ’ ἀφέντες ἄλλος ἄλλῃ φεύγομεν.
He said nothing except: "Friend, do that for which you are present." And straightway the murderers laid hands on Him; and we, leaving Him, fled, one one way, another another.
§1.186Πέτρος δ’ ὁ κλεινὸς καὶ λόγοις ἀπείπατο, §1.187μόνος δ’ ἐπιστήθιος εἵπετ’ ἀτρέμας.
Even the famous Peter denied Him in words, but only the disciple of His breast followed quietly.
§1.188Ἔδοξα δ’ αὐτὸς ὑπό του πεπυθέναι §1.189σιγῇ λέγοντος ὡς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἠρέμα §1.190τὸν δύστροπον πράτην γε τοῦ Διδασκάλου· §1.191Τῆς ἀσεβείας·
And I myself seemed to have heard from someone, who was speaking in silence, gently and quietly to him, even to that deceitful seller of the Teacher: "O the impiety!
ὦ τάλ’, οὐ φοβῇ Θεὸν;
O wretched one, do you not fear God?
§1.192οὐ θεσμὸν αἰδῇ τῶν βροτῶν τῆς οὐσίας §1.193Ἀδάμ τε τὸν σπείραντα γηγενῆ στάχυν §1.194καὶ πατριάρχας ἐκλελεγμένου γένους;
Do you not revere the law of the essence of mortals, and Adam, who sowed the earth-born harvest of humans, and the patriarchs of the chosen race?
§1.195Μύστης φανεὶς σὺ συμμαθητάς αἰσχύνεις §1.196τὸν μυσταγωγὸν, φεῦ, προδοὺς ἀργυρίου, §1.197προύδωκας αὐτὸν εἰς φόνον μιαιφόνοις.
Appearing as an initiate, you bring shame upon your fellow disciples, having betrayed, alas, the mystagogue for silver, you handed Him over to the murderers for slaughter.
§1.198Οὐκ εἶπεν;
Did He not speak?
οὐ σῆς προὐνοήσατο φρενὸς §1.199σκοπεῖν, ἐφ’ οἷσι νῦν ἑκὼν ἀλγύνεται;
Did He not take thought for your mind to consider for what reasons He now willingly suffers?
§1.200Σὺ δ’ οὐκ ἀνέσχου· τοιγαροῦν γνοίης τάχει, §1.201εὖ δ’ ἴσθι, πατρὸς δ’ εὐσεβὲς θάλπει γένος.
But you did not endure; therefore you will know soon, and know well, that He fosters the pious race of His Father.
§1.202Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ὅρκοις Ἀβραὰμ ἐπεσχέθη, §1.203οὐκ ἄν ποτ’ ἔσχε μὴ τάδ’ ὑπεξιέναι §1.204κἀντεῦθεν ὑμῖν ἀποδοῦναι τὴν δίκην.
For if He had not been held back by the oaths to Abraham, He would never have refrained from escaping these things, and from rendering justice to you right then.
§1.205Δοκεῖς γὰρ αὐτὸν τάδ’ ὑποστῆναι πάθη, §1.206εἰ μή τι κερδαίνοντα κἀντεῦθεν μέγα;
For do you think He undergoes these sufferings without gaining some great thing therefrom?
§1.207Νῦν δ’ ἐκ χθονὸς μὲν, ἔστ’ ἂν ἔρχηται πάλιν, §1.208καινῶς ἄνεισι, σίγα δ’ ἕξεται κρίσιν §1.209ἐρῶν καθ’ ὑμῶν Πατρὶ σὴν ἁμαρτίαν §1.210λαοῦ τε τοῦδε μαινόλου τολμηρίαν, §1.211ὡς καὶ προεῖπε Δαυΐδου γλώσσῃ πάλαι §1.212οὐκ ἀγνοοῦντι καὶ πρὸ τῆς τολμηρίας, §1.213πλήσει τε πᾶσαν γαῖαν εὐδόξων λόγων §1.214ἔργων τε κλεινῶν, μυρίων, θαυμασίων, §1.215ὄψεσθε δ’ ἐν Πατρός μολοῦντ’ αὖθις κλέει, §1.216κρίσιν φέροντα ζῶσι καὶ τεθνηκόσι §1.217καὶ πᾶσι παρέχοντα τὰ κατ’ ἀξίαν.
But now indeed, though He departs from the earth, until He comes again, He will ascend in a new way, and in silence He will hold judgment, telling your sin to the Father against you, and the audacity of this mad people, even as He foretold of old through the tongue of David, who was not ignorant of it even before this audacity; and He will fill all the earth with glorious words and famous, countless, wondrous deeds, and you will see Him coming again in the glory of the Father, bringing judgment to the living and the dead, and rendering to all according to their worth.
§1.218Πῶς γοῦν προσόψει σύ τε καὶ μιαιφόνοι, §1.219ἢ ποίαν οὐκ ἐκτίσετ’ ἔνδικον τίσιν,.
How indeed will you and the murderers look Him in the face, or what just retribution will you escape paying?
§1.220Πλὴν καὶ πρὸ τοῦδε τίσετ’ ἔνδικον τίσιν, §1.221εἰ μὴ χέρας νίψεσθε τὰς μιαιφόνους, §1.222ἃς, ἢν θέλητε κἂν τανῦν ξυνιέναι, §1.223αὐτὸς ῥυτοῖς νασμοῖσιν ἀπομόρξεται.
Yet even before this, you will pay a just retribution, unless you wash your murder-stained hands, which, if you wish to understand even now, He Himself will wipe clean with flowing streams.
§1.224Ἢ σῆς γε τόλμης νῦν μάθῃς γεγευμένος, §1.225σὺν σοὶ δὲ καὶ πᾶς τῶν ἀλαστόρων ὄχλος.
Otherwise, you will learn now by tasting of your own audacity, and with you, all the crowd of the avenging destroyers.
§1.226Νῦν δ’ εἰ μένειν δεῖ, μίμν’ ἐφ’ ἡμέραν μίαν, §1.227εἰ μή τι πάθῃς, ὧν φόβος πολὺς κρατεῖ, §1.228κἀγὼ προφήτης τῶν λόγων γενήσομαι.
But now, if you must remain, remain for a single day, lest you suffer something of which a great fear dominates, and I shall become a prophet of these words.
§1.229Ἀλλ’ ἐκποδὼν ἄπιθι καὶ σαυτοῦ πέρι §1.230φρόντιζε· ταὐτοῦ δ’ αὐτὸς εὖ γε θήσεται, §1.231σὺ δ’, ὥσπερ εἰκὸς, κατθανῇ κακὸς κακῶς, §1.232πρῶτα κρεμαστοῖς ἐν βρόχοις ἠρτημένος, §1.233πήδημ’ ἐς ᾄδην κραιπνὸν ὁρμήσας τάχος, §1.234λύπῃ παχνωθεὶς, ὡς προδοὺς ἀργυρίου, §1.235καὶ νᾶμα πυρὸς παμφάγου σε δέξεται.
Nay, go out of the way and think of yourself; for He Himself will arrange His own affairs well, but you, as is fitting, will die wretchedly as a wretched man, first suspended in hanging nooses, having rushed with swift haste into a leap to Hades, frozen with grief, as having betrayed for silver, and the stream of all-devouring fire will receive you.
§1.236Οὐ γὰρ θέλεις νῦν ἐκφυγεῖν τιμωρίαν, §1.237καὶ τῶνδε τεύξῃ, προὐνέπω δέ σοι τάδε· §1.238Οὔ σ’ ἡ’πιοῦσα λαμπὰς ὄψεται Θεοῦ, §1.239οὐ νεκρεγέρτου νεκρέγερσιν κατίδῃς.
For you do not wish now to escape punishment, and you will obtain these things; I foretell these things to you: The coming light of God will not see you, nor will you behold the resurrection of Him who raises the dead.
§1.240Ἐς γὰρ τοσοῦτον μωρίας ἀφικάνεις, §1.241ὥστ’ ἐξὸν αὖθις δείν’ ἑλεῖν βουλεύματα §1.242καὶ πάντ’ ἀφέντα προσπεσεῖν Διδασκάλῳ §1.243κἀκ τῶν βλεφάρων θερμὰ χύσαι δάκρυα §1.244βρόχον κρεμαστὸν ἐξανάψεις ἀγχόνης, §1.245ψυχὴν ἀφεῖναι τοῖς βροχώμασι τρέχων.
For you arrive at such a point of folly that, although it was possible again to choose alternative counsels and, abandoning everything, to fall down before the Teacher and pour warm tears from your eyelids, you will fasten a hanging noose of strangulation, running to release your soul with the nooses.
§1.246Ὅμως δὲ κἀν τοῖσδ’ οὐκ ἀπειρηκὼς, σέ πως §1.247σώσει, τὸ σόν γε προσκοπούμενος κέαρ· §1.248οὐ γὰρ δύναιτ’ ἂν ἀγαθός που μὴ μένειν.
Yet, even in these things, not being exhausted, He will somehow save you, looking out for your heart; for He could not, being good, fail to remain so.
§1.249Ἀλλ’ οὔ σε μὴ θέλοντα κερδᾶναι θέλει· §1.250οὐ γὰρ νόμον τίθησιν ἐν βροτοῖς βίαν· §1.251ἥκιστα τοῦδε λῆμ’ ἔφυ τυραννικόν· §1.252ῥαγεὶς γὰρ αἰσχρῶς πάγκακον ῥήξεις κέαρ.
But He does not wish to gain you when you do not wish it; for He does not establish force as a law among mortals; least of all was His disposition tyrannical; for burst asunder shamefully, you will rupture your all-evil heart.
§1.253Αλλ’ οὔτι ταύτῃ ταῦτα, μὴ σύ που δόκει· §1.254ἔτ’ εἰς ἀγῶνας σύ τε καὶ μιαιφόνοι,
But these things are by no means in this way, do not think so; still you and the murderers are headed for struggles.

Notes

  1. 1.177ἔφθασεν ὄχλον τῶν μιαιφόνων ἐγὼν — The main verb ἔφθασεν is third-person singular with 'the seller (Judas)' as its subject, taking ὄχλον as the object of 'anticipating' or 'arriving ahead'. The first-person pronoun ἐγὼν at the end is either inserted parenthetically by the messenger to emphasize his eyewitness role, or is a corruption of the participle ἄγων ('leading') typical of Byzantine cento traditions.
  2. 1.183Ἑταῖρ’, ἐφ’ ᾧ πάρει; — A direct quote from Matthew 26:50. The relative clause ἐφ’ ᾧ represents the purpose or reason, with an ellipsis of the main imperative clause (e.g., '[do that] for which you are present').
  3. 1.188ὑπό του πεπυθέναι — The phrase ὑπό του contains the genitive of the indefinite pronoun (τινός), acting as the agent/source of the infinitive πεπυθέναι which has a passive sense ('to be informed' or 'to hear'). The subsequent genitive participle phrase starting with λέγοντος modifies του, indicating that the speaker overheard someone speaking.
  4. 1.202Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ὅρκοις Ἀβραὰμ ἐπεσχέθη — A contrary-to-fact conditional construction set in the past, consisting of the protasis with εἰ μὴ + past indicative (aorist passive ἐπεσχέθη) and the apodosis with οὐκ ἄν + aorist indicative (ἔσχε). It presents God's covenant with Abraham as the restraining factor, without which immediate punishment would have occurred.
  5. 1.241ὥστ’ ἐξὸν — The accusative absolute participle ἐξόν of the impersonal verb ἔξεστι ('it is possible') is used here with concessive/hypothetical force ('although it was possible to repent...'). This construction contrasts the past possibility of salvation against the main clause introduced by ὥστε, which describes Judas's rush to hang himself.
  6. 1.249Ἀλλ’ οὔ σε μὴ θέλοντα κερδᾶναι θέλει — The main verb οὐ ... θέλει ('does not wish') takes the negated participle μὴ θέλοντα ('you who do not wish') as its object. Rather than a double negation resulting in a strong positive, it signifies the theological point that God does not forcibly win over (save, κερδᾶναι) someone who actively rejects salvation, thereby respecting human free will.

Cite this passage

Gregory of Nazianzus, The Suffering Christ §1.174-1.254. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2022.tlg003.humanitext-grc1:1.174-1.254

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