Humanitext Reader

Origen · Annotations on Genesis §23.15

Symbolic Meaning of Four Hundred as the Price of a Grave

Passage 3 of 6 · Greek

Summary

On Genesis 23:15, the text points out that the number 'four hundred' represents the price of a grave, explaining that the numbers four and one hundred are symbolic of harm.

§23.15(6) Στίχ. ιε΄.
\n(6) Verse 15.
Γῆ τετρακοσίων διδράχμων. Σημειωτέον, ὅτι τάφου τιμή ἐστι τὰ τετρακόσια, τῷ κακωτικὴν εἶναι τὴν τετράδα καὶ ἑκατοντάδα.
"A piece of land worth four hundred didrachms." It should be noted that the four hundred is the price of a grave, because the number four and the number one hundred are harmful.
Καὶ ζητήσας τὰ ὅμοια ἐκ τῶν Γραφῶν εὑρήσεις.
And if you search for similar things from the Scriptures, you will find them.

Notes

  1. §23.15τῷ κακωτικὴν εἶναι τὴν τετράδα καὶ ἑκατοντάδα — An infinitive clause introduced by the neuter dative article τῷ, expressing cause or reason ('because...'). The subject of the infinitive εἶναι is the accusative τὴν τετράδα καὶ ἑκατοντάδα ('the number four and the number one hundred'), and κακωτικήν ('harmful, causing evil') is its predicate adjective in the accusative case to agree with the subject.
  2. §23.15ζητήσας ... εὑρήσεις — The aorist participle ζητήσας (masculine singular nominative) functions adverbially to express a condition ('if you search'), depending on the future active verb εὑρήσεις ('you will find') in the main clause.

Cite this passage

Origen, Annotations on Genesis §23.15. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg066.humanitext-grc1:23.15

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.