Origen · On the Engastrimythos §5

The Accuracy of the Prophecy and the Refutation of Demons

Passage 4 of 9 · Greek

Summary

The author asserts that both the biblical narrative and its examination are necessary for understanding what awaits after death, and argues against the opposing view by showing that a demon could not have possessed such detailed prophetic knowledge about David's kingdom, Saul's specific sins, Israel's defeat, and Saul's imminent death.

§5ἀλλ’ ὁ λόγος ἔτι ἐξετάζεται.

But the argument is still under examination.

Λέγω δὲ ὅτι ἀναγκαία καὶ ἡ ἱστορία καὶ ἡ ἐξέτασις ἡ περὶ αὐτῆς, ἵνα ἴδωμεν τί ἡμᾶς ἔχει μετὰ τὴν ἔξοδον.

And I say that both the history and the examination concerning it are necessary, so that we may see what awaits us after our departure.

»λελάληκεν ἐν χειρί μου, καὶ διαρρήξει κύριος τὴν βασιλείαν ἐκ χειρός σου καὶ δώσει αὐτὴν τῷ πλησίον σου τῷ Δαβίδ«. δαιμόνιον δὲ οὐ δύναται εἰδέναι τὴν βασιλείαν Δαβὶδ τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου χειροτονηθεῖσαν.

'[The Lord] has spoken by my hand, and the Lord will tear the kingdom out of your hand and give it to your neighbor, to David.' And a demon is not able to know the kingdom of David, which was appointed by the Lord.

»καθότι οὐκ ἤκουσας τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ κυρίου, οὐκ ἐποίησας ὀργὴν θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐν Ἀμαλήκ«. ταῦτα οὐκ ἔστι ῥήματα θεοῦ;

'Because you did not listen to the voice of the Lord, and did not execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek.' Are these not the words of God?

οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθῆ;

Are they not true?

ἀληθῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἐποίησεν τὸ θέλημα κυρίου Σαούλ, ἀλλὰ »περιεποιήσατο τὸν βασιλέα Ἀμαλὴκ ἐφ’ ᾡ καὶ πρὸ τῆς κοιμήσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐξόδου ὠνείδισεν Σαμουὴλ τῷ Σαούλ·

For Saul truly did not do the will of the Lord, but 'spared the king of Amalek,' for which Samuel reproached Saul, both before his sleep and at his departure.

»καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ἐποίησέν σοι κύριος ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ· καὶ δώσει κύριος καίγε τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐν χειρὶ ἀλλοφύλων«. περὶ ὅλου λαοῦ θεοῦ δύναται δαιμόνιον προφητεῦσαι ὅτι κύριος μέλλει παραδιδόναι τὸν Ἰσραήλ;

'And therefore the Lord has done this thing to you on this day; and the Lord will also give Israel into the hand of the Philistines.' Is a demon able to prophesy concerning the whole people of God, that the Lord is going to deliver Israel?

»καίγε τὴν παρεμβολὴν Ἰσραὴλ παραδώσει κύριος αὐτὴν ἐν χειρὶ ἀλλοφύλων.

'And the Lord will also deliver the camp of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

τάχυνον δὲ Σαούλ· αὔριον καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου μετ’ ἐμοῦ«. καὶ τοῦτο δύναται εἰδέναι δαιμόνιον, περὶ βασιλέα χειροτονηθέντα μετὰ προφητικοῦ, ὅτι αὔριον ἔμελλεν ἐξελεύσεσθαι ὁ Σαοὺλ τὸν βίον καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτοῦ;

Make haste, Saul; tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me.' And is a demon able to know this, concerning a king appointed with prophetic office, that tomorrow Saul was going to depart from life, and his sons with him?

»αὔριον σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου μετ’ ἐμοῦ«.

'Tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me.'

Notes

§5τί ἡμᾶς ἔχει μετὰ τὴν ἔξοδον — The interrogative pronoun `τί` can be interpreted either as the subject or the object. Here, it is best understood as the subject with `ἡμᾶς` as the object: "what holds/awaits us after death," referring to the state of human souls after departure from life.
¦25¦ἐφ’ ᾧ — A combination of the preposition `ἐπί` and the neuter relative pronoun in the dative `ᾧ`, expressing cause or reason ("for which reason," "because of which"). Its antecedent is the preceding clause, namely Saul sparing the king of Amalek.
¦p.288¦μετὰ προφητικοῦ — The preposition `μετά` followed by the genitive of a substantivized adjective `προφητικόν` ("prophetic office" or "prophetic authority"). It indicates that Saul was established as king with prophetic endorsement or accompaniment.

Cite this passage

Origen, On the Engastrimythos §5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg013.humanitext-grc1:5

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