Humanitext Reader

Origen · Annotations on Leviticus (fragments from Catenae) §23.2-23.40

Definitions of Feasts and Assemblies and Palm Branches

Passage 4 of 5 · Greek

Summary

In this chunk, the author clarifies the definitions and logical relationship between "feasts" and "assemblies" based on the text of Leviticus, and explains that the branches of evergreen trees such as palms symbolize the delights of paradise in Christ and the unfading nature of hope.

§23.2Στίχ. β΄.
\nVerse 2.
Αὗται αἱ ἑορταὶ Κυρίου. Πᾶσα ἱλαρὰ ἡμέρα, ἐν ᾗ προτέτακται (19), ὡς ἐν ἁγίᾳ τάδε τινὰ ποιεῖν παρὰ τὰς λοιπὰς ἐξαίρετα, ἑορτὴ καλεῖται.
"These are the feasts of the Lord." Every joyful day in which it is prescribed, as on a holy day, to perform certain special things distinct from the other days, is called a feast.
Οὐ πᾶσα δέ ἐστι πανήγυρις· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοὔνομα, ὅτε ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συναθροίζονται πανταχόθεν.
But not every feast is a public assembly; rather, according to the name, it is when people gather together from all sides to the same place.
Ὥστε ἡ μὲν πανήγυρίς ἐστι καὶ ἑορτή· οὐκέτι δὲ ἑορτὴ, καὶ πανήγυρις·
Consequently, while an assembly is also a feast, a feast is not necessarily also an assembly.
οἷον· Σάββατα καὶ Νουμηνίαι, ἑορταί εἰσιν· Ἄζυμα δὲ, καὶ ἡμέραι τῶν Ἑβδομάδων, καὶ Σκηνοπηγίαι οὐ μόνον ἑορταὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πανηγύρεις.
For example, the Sabbaths and the New Moons are feasts; but the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles are not only feasts, but also assemblies.\n\nVerse 40.
§23.40Στίχ. μ΄. Καὶ κάλλυντρα φοινίκων. Πάρεστι διὰ τούτων νοεῖν (20), καὶ πάλιν ἡμῖν ἐν Χριστῷ τὰς ἐν παραδείσῳ τρυφὰς ἀπονέμει Θεός.
"And the beautiful branches of palm trees." Through these things, it is possible to perceive that God again bestows upon us in Christ the delights of paradise.
Φυτῶν δὲ τῶν ἀειθαλῶν οἱ κλάδοι, τὸ διηνεκὲς τῆς χάριτος καὶ τὸ ἀμάραντον τῆς ἐλπίδος ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῖς σημαίνουσι.
And the branches of evergreen plants signify in themselves the perpetuity of grace and the unfading nature of hope.

Notes

  1. 23.2προτέτακται — Meaning "it has been prescribed/ordered beforehand." It is used impersonally here, with the following infinitive phrase `τάδε τινὰ ποιεῖν...` functioning as its logical subject.
  2. 23.2οὐκέτι δὲ ἑορτὴ, καὶ πανήγυρις — An expression showing partial negation and logical inclusion. It means "but a festival is not necessarily also a public assembly." It contrasts with the first part `ἡ μὲν πανήγυρίς ἐστι καὶ ἑορτή` (an assembly is also a feast), explaining the set inclusion relations ("assembly ⊂ festival", but not vice versa).
  3. 23.40Πάρεστι διὰ τούτων νοεῖν — `πάρεστι` is an impersonal verb meaning "it is possible," with the infinitive `νοεῖν` acting as its subject. The clause explaining what is perceived ("that God bestows...") is connected as an object clause to `νοεῖν` with the indicative verb `ἀπονέμει` but without the conjunction `ὅτι`. Note that the word immediately following is misspelled as `πάλин` in the text, which is understood as `πάλιν` ("again").

Cite this passage

Origen, Annotations on Leviticus (fragments from Catenae) §23.2-23.40. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg068.humanitext-grc1:23.2-23.40

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.