Origen · On the Engastrimythos §8

Why the Prophets and the Savior Descended to Hades

Passage 7 of 9 · Greek

Summary

The author argues that, just as all the prophets descended into Hades before Christ, Samuel also descended there as a holy man. He explains that, just as doctors go to the sick, the descent of the Savior and the prophets into Hades was prompted by philanthropic love to save those who are suffering.

§8Οὐ παρεξέβην οὐδὲ ἐπελαθόμην τοῦ προκειμένου, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο θέλομεν κατασκευάσαι ὅτι, εἰ πάντες εἰς ᾅδου καταβεβήκασι πρὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρόδρομοι Χριστοῦ οἱ προφῆται Χριστοῦ, οὕτως καὶ Σαμουὴλ ἐκεῖ καταβέβηκεν· οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ’ ὡς ἅγιος.

I have not digressed, nor have I forgotten the subject before us, but we want to establish this: that if all the prophets of Christ descended into Hades before Christ as His forerunners, so also Samuel descended there; for he did not descend simply, but as a holy man.

ὅπου ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ ἅγιος, ἅγιος. ἅγιος.

Wherever the holy man may be, he is holy, holy.

μήτι Χριστὸς οὐκέτι Χριστός ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ ἐν ᾅδου ποτὲ ἠν;

Is Christ no longer Christ because He was once in Hades?

οὐκέτι ἠν υἱὸς θεοῦ, ἐπεὶ έν τῷ καταχθονίῳ γεγένηται τόπῳ »ἵνα πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων«;

Was He no longer the Son of God because He was in the subterranean place, "so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth"?

οὕτως Χριστὸς Χριστὸς ἦν καὶ κάτω ὤν, καὶ; ἕνα οὕτως εἴπω, έν τῷ κάτω τόπῳ ὤν, τῇ προαιρέσει ἄνω ἠν.

Thus Christ was Christ even when He was below, and, if I may put it this way, when He was in the place below, He was above in choice.

οὕτως καὶ οἱ προφῆται καὶ Σαμουήλ, κἂν καταβῶσιν ὅπου αἱ ψυχαὶ αἱ κάτω. κάτω μὲν δύνανται εἶναι τόπῳ. κάτω δέ εἰσιν τῇ προαιρέσει.

So also the prophets and Samuel, even if they descend to where the souls below are, they can be below in place, but they are not below in choice.

πυνθάνομαι δέ· † ἐπροφήτευσαν τὰ ὑπερουράνια.

But I ask: did they prophesy heavenly things?

ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ δύναμαι διδόναι δαιμονίῳ τηλικαύτην δύναμιν, ὅτι προφητεύει περὶ Σαοὺλ Σαμουὴλ] καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ προφητεύει περὶ βασιλείας Δαβὶδ ὅτι μέλλει βασιλεύειν.

But I cannot grant such power to a demon, namely, that it should prophesy concerning Saul and the people of God, and prophesy concerning the kingdom of David, that he is to reign.

εἴσονται οἱ ταῦτα λέγοντες τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας τῆς κατὰ τὸν τόπον· οὐχ εὑρήσουσιν παραστῆσαι πῶς οὐκ ἂν καὶ ἅγιος γένοιτο ὑπὲρ τῶν κακῶς ἐχόντων εἰς τὸν τόπον τῶν κακῶς ἐχόντων.

Those who say these things will know the truth concerning the place; they will not find a way to demonstrate how a holy person would not also go, for the sake of those who are suffering, into the place of those who are suffering.

| | ἰατροὶ γινέσθωσαν εἰς τοὺς τόπους τῶν καμνόντων στρατιωτῶν, καὶ εἰσίτωσαν ὅπου αἱ δυσωδίαι τῶν τραυμάτων αὐτῶν· τοῦτο ὑποβάλλει ἡ ἰατρικὴ φιλανθρωπία.

Let physicians go to the places of sick soldiers, and let them enter where the stench of their wounds is; this is what medical philanthropy suggests.

οὕτω τοῦτο ὑποβέβληκεν τῷ σωτῆρι ὁ λόγος καὶ τοῖς προφήταις, καὶ ἐνθάδε ἐλθεῖν καὶ εἰς ᾅδου καταβῆναι.

In the same way, the Logos has suggested this to the Savior and to the prophets: both to come here and to descend into Hades.

Notes

10κάτω δέ εἰσιν τῇ προαιρέσει — Although the manuscript text lacks a negative particle, given the symmetry with the preceding statement about Christ (“when He was in the place below, He was above in choice [τῇ προαιρέσει ἄνω ἦν]”), it is understood that a negative particle οὐ has been omitted, meaning “but they are not below in choice.”
10ὅτι προφητεύει περὶ Σαοὺλ — The conjunction ὅτι here introduces an explanatory/appositional clause that specifies the content of the preceding phrase “such great power (τηλικαύτην δύναμιν),” carrying the sense: “I cannot grant such power to a demon, namely, that it should prophesy concerning Saul.”
15πῶς οὐκ ἂν καὶ ἅγιος γένοιτο — The combination of the interrogative πῶς, the negative οὐκ, and the potential particle ἄν with the optative (γένοιτο) forms a rhetorical double negative with strong conviction: “how could a holy person not also go? (i.e., he must certainly go).”
2.497ἰατροὶ γινέσθωσαν εἰς τοὺς τόπους — The construction of γίνομαι followed by the preposition εἰς (with accusative) does not simply mean “to become doctors in those places,” but carries a dynamic movement of going or moving to a place in order to fulfill a specific role (as physicians).

Cite this passage

Origen, On the Engastrimythos §8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg013.humanitext-grc1:8

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