Humanitext Reader

Origen · Scholia on Matthew §8.11

The Narrow Way and the Many Gentiles Entering Heaven

Passage 3 of 13 · Greek

Summary

The author quotes Matthew 8:11, resolving the apparent tension between the few who find the narrow way and the many who enter the kingdom of heaven by explaining that the latter prophetically refers to the vast number of Gentiles who believe, in contrast to the unbelieving Jews.

§8.11Στιχ. ια΄.
Verse 11.
Πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν ἥξουσι, ταὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ καί Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Εἰ στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἐστὶν ἡ ὁδὸς, καὶ ὀλίγοι οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτὴν, διὰ ποίας οἱ πολλοὶ εἰσελεύσονται;
"Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." If the way is narrow and constricted, and those who find it are few, through what kind of way shall the many enter?
περὶ γὰρ πλατείας καὶ εὐρυχώρου λέγει, ὅτι πολλοὶ εἰσελεύσονται διʼ αὐτῆς.
For concerning the wide and broad way he says that many shall enter through it.
Καί φαμ ὅτι ὁ μὲν τοῦ Σωτῆρος λόγος εἴρηται, ἐπειδὴ ὀλίγοι ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐσώζοντο· οὐ πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν.
And we say that the word of the Savior was spoken because few from Israel were being saved; for not many believed in Him.
Διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Μὴ φοβοῦ μικρόν ποίμωιον, ὅτι εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν σοί. Προφητικῶς δὲ ἐλέχθη τὸ, Πολλοὶ ἥξουσιν· ὡς περὶ τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν.
Wherefore He also said: "Fear not, little flock, for God was well pleased in thee." But the words "Many shall come" were spoken prophetically, as concerning those from the nations who were going to believe in Him.
Πολλοὶ, φησὶν, ὡς πρὸς τοὺς μετὰ τὴν παρουσίαν μὴ πστεύσαντας, οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀνακλιθησόμενοι μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν· καὶ τῷ ἀριθμῷ δὲ πολλαπλασίους οὗτοι τῶν ἀπὸ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὁμολογουμένων.
"Many," He says, in contrast to those who did not believe after His coming, are those from the nations who shall sit down with Abraham and those descended from him in the kingdom of heaven; and in number indeed, these are many times more than those from Israel who confess Jesus Christ.

Notes

  1. p.293φαμ — An abbreviation in manuscripts or early printed editions representing the first-person plural active indicative `φαμέν` ('we say'). It is immediately followed by the milestone `¦p.293¦` and introduces the following `ὅτι` clause.
  2. 8.11τοὺς μετὰ τὴν παρουσίαν μὴ πστεύσαντας — `πστεύσαντας` is a scribal error for `πιστεύσαντας`. This is an accusative noun phrase functioning as the object of the prepositional phrase `ὡς πρὸς` ('in contrast to'). It refers to the Jews who did not believe after Christ's coming (`παρουσία`), contrasted with the believing Gentiles mentioned next.
  3. 8.11πολλαπλασίους οὗτοι τῶν ἀπὸ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὁμολογουμένων — The adjective `πολλαπλασίους` ('many times more', accusative plural) governs the genitive of comparison `τῶν... ὁμολογουμένων`. The article `τῶν` goes with the participle `ὁμολογουμένων` ('those who confess', genitive), with `ἀπὸ Ἰσραὴλ` ('from Israel') embedded inside, and the participle itself takes the accusative `τὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν` as its direct object.

Cite this passage

Origen, Scholia on Matthew §8.11. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg077.humanitext-grc1:8.11

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