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Fragmenta in Jeremiam

OF SAINT JOHN ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE CHRYSOSTOM'S EXPLANATION ON THE PROPHET JEREMIAH THE

SURVIVING. 64.740 We must say what prophecy is and when it began, and when it ceased, and for what reason it ended; and what useful thing it is possible to receive from it in life. Prophecy, then, is to speak, or even to show in types, things past, present, and future. For it is a word, or a thing foretelling things before they are known. Since a thing is also signified by means of a thing. For types of the future were the bronze serpent, the lamb in Egypt, Isaac being offered. For these are prophecy, but they do not have the cause, as in the case of Ezekiel being cast out through the wall, or. casting down the walls. For it has the cause. However, the types must also be useful to those at that time, as in the case of the serpent, and of the lamb. But the prophets foretell not only when asked, like those outside, but for the most part of their own accord. For among them they are also called prophets homonymously. Wherefore also 64.741 Paul says: Did a certain one of them, their own prophet, say? And the Egyptians also called their priests prophets. And in general, of prophecies, one is spiritual, another is diabolical, a middle one between these is natural or technical, and a fourth is common and popular. The spiritual, then, primarily belongs to the saints, but by dispensation also to those who are not such, as to Nebuchadnezzar, and Pharaoh, and Balaam, and Caiaphas; the diabolical belongs only to his servants; for they are the flour-diviners, and the Pythia who divines by means of body parts, and the priestess of Dodona through the oak, and by entrails, and flight of birds, and cries, and by signs and sneezes, and by omens from sounds, and thunder, and hands, and mice and weasels, and squeaks and ringing of ears, and twitchings of the body, and pebbles, and rods and barks, through the dead and the belly, and names and stars, and bowls, and countless such things. For the one through dreams and, among us, the one through possession, is also of this sort. But their foreknowledge comes not through virtue, as with us, but through some evil art; and they divine concerning money, and diseases, and wars, with no virtue or vice being sought from them; but with us it is for the sake of the correction of morals, and of change for the better. And those things must come to pass, but these not always. For what is the benefit of a prediction spoken for the benefit of souls, when the things decreed will certainly be, allowing no change from what is in our power? For God, when he foretells, also suggests the solution to the terrible things, if we should wish to repent. For this is also the gain of prophecy. But if there is no change, it certainly comes to pass. But they, having spoken truly in some things by chance, in most things have erred. And they need instruments, and places, and times, and speak for money; But God is free from these things. Such, then, are both divine and diabolical prophecy. Natural prophecy is that of the irrational creatures; for swallows are aware of the coming of swallows, and cranes of cranes, and ants sense the coming of winter, and sea-urchins and kingfishers, having acquired this by nature. And technical prophecy is found among physicians, and counsellors, and pilots; for some foretell sicknesses, others the solutions to these; others foretell changes of the winds, others conjecture about the future with intelligence. And there is also a common and popular knowledge of the future, such as that in three months it will be winter; all

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Fragmenta in Jeremiam

ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΥ ΕΞΗΓΗΣΕΩΣ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΙΕΡΕΜΙΑΝ ΠΡΟΦΗΤΗΝ ΤΑ

ΣΩΖΟΜΕΝΑ. 64.740 Λεκτέον τίς ἡ προφητεία καὶ πότε ἤρξατο, καὶ πότε πέπαυται, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἔληξεν· καὶ τί λαβεῖν ἔστιν ἐκ ταύτης ἐν τῷ βίῳ ὠφέλιμον. Προφητεία τοίνυν, τὸ λέγειν, ἢ καὶ τυπικῶς δεικνύναι τὰ προλαβόντα, καὶ ὄντα, καὶ ἐσόμενα. Λόγος γάρ ἐστιν, ἢ πρᾶγμα πρὶν γνωσθῆναι προαγορεύων τὰ πράγματα. Ἐπεὶ καὶ διὰ πράγματος πρᾶγμα σημαίνεται. Τύποι γὰρ ἦσαν τοῦ μέλλοντος ὁ ὄφις ὁ χαλκοῦς, ὁ ἀμνὸς ὁ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, Ἰσαὰκ προσαγόμενος. Προφητεία γὰρ ταῦτα, τὴν δὲ αἰτίαν οὐκ ἔχουσι, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἐζεκιὴλ ἐκβαλλομένου διὰ τοῦ τοίχου ἴσ. καταβαλλομένου τοὺς τοίχους. Ἔχει γὰρ τὴν αἰτίαν. ∆εῖ μέντοι τοὺς τύπους καὶ τοῖς τότε χρησίμους εἶναι ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄφεως, καὶ τοῦ ἀμνοῦ. Προλέγουσι δὲ οἱ προφῆται οὐκ ἐρωτώμενοι μόνον κατὰ τοὺς ἔξω, τὸ δὲ πλεῖστον ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν. Λέγονται γὰρ καὶ παρ' ἐκείνοις ὁμωνύμως προφῆται. ∆ιὸ καὶ 64.741 Παῦλός φησιν· Εἶπέ τις ἐξ αὐτῶν ἴδιος αὐτῶν προφήτης; Ἐκάλουν δὲ προφήτας καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας Αἰγύπτιοι. Καὶ καθόλου τῶν προφητειῶν, ἡ μέν ἐστι πνευματικὴ, ἡ δὲ διαβολικὴ, ἡ δὲ μέση τούτων φυσική τις ἢ τεχνικὴ, ἡ δὲ τετάρτη κοινὴ καὶ δημώδης. Τῆς μὲν οὖν πνευματικῆς προηγουμένως μὲν τοῖς ἁγίοις μέτεστι, δι' οἰκονομίαν δὲ καὶ τοῖς μὴ τοιούτοις, ὡς τῷ Ναβουχοδονόσωρ, καὶ Φαραὼ, καὶ Βαλαὰμ, καὶ Καϊάφα· τῆς δὲ διαβολικῆς τοῖς τούτου μόνον θεραπευταῖς· αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἱ ἀλευρομάντεις, καὶ ἡ διὰ τῶν μορίων μαντευομένη Πυθία, καὶ ἡ διὰ τοῦ δρυὸς ἡ ∆ωδωνὶς ἱέρεια, καὶ ἡ διὰ σπλάγχνων, καὶ πτήσεως, καὶ κλαγγῶν, συμβόλων τε καὶ πταρμῶν, καὶ κλῃδόνων, καὶ βροντῆς, καὶ χειρῶν, μυῶν τε καὶ γαλῆς, καὶ τρυσμῶν καὶ ὤτων ἤχου, καὶ σώματος παλμῶν, καὶ χαλίκων, ῥάβδων τε καὶ φλοιῶν, διὰ νεκρῶν τε καὶ γαστρὸς, ὀνομάτων τε καὶ ἄστρων, καὶ φιαλῶν, μυρίων τε ὅσων τοιούτων. Ἡ γὰρ δι' ὀνείρων καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν διὰ κατοχῆς καὶ αὕτη. Ἡ δὲ πρόγνωσις αὐτοῖς, οὐ δι' ἀρετῆς ὡς ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ διά τινος κακοτεχνίας· κἀκεῖνοι μὲν περὶ χρημάτων, καὶ νόσων, καὶ πολέμων μαντεύονται, μηδεμιᾶς ζητουμένης αὐτοῖς ἀρετῆς, ἢ κακίας· παρ' ἡμῖν δὲ διορθώσεως ἠθῶν ἕνεκα, καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον μεταβολῆς. Κἀκεῖνα μὲν ἐκβῆναι δεῖ, ταῦτα δὲ οὐ πάντως. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος προῤῥήσεως ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ ψυχῶν λεγομένης, ὅτε πάντως ἔσται τὰ θεσπιζόμενα, μηδεμίαν ἐκ τοῦ ἐφ' ἡμῖν μεταβολὴν ἐνδεχόμενα; Θεὸς γὰρ προλέγων, καὶ τὴν λύσιν ὑποτίθεται τῶν δεινῶν, εἰ μεταγνῶναι βουλοίμεθα. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι καὶ τῆς προφητείας τὸ κέρδος. Μὴ μεταβαλλομένων δὲ πάντως γίνεται. Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς ἔν τισιν ἀληθεύσαντες, ἐν τοῖς πλείστοις διήμαρτον. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ὀργάνων δέονται, καὶ τόπων, καὶ καιρῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ χρήμασι λέγουσι· Θεὸς δὲ τούτων ἀπήλλακται. Τοιαύτη μὲν γὰρ ἥ τε θεία καὶ διαβολικὴ προφητεία. Φυσικὴ δὲ ἡ τῶν ἀλόγων· χελιδόνες γὰρ χελιδόνων, καὶ γεράνων γέρανοι, καὶ μύρμηκες ἐπιόντος χειμῶνος αἰσθάνονται, ἐχῖνοί τε καὶ ἀλκύονες, φύσει τοῦτο κτησάμενοι. Ἡ δὲ τεχνικὴ προφητεία παρὰ ἰατροῖς, καὶ συμβούλοις, καὶ κυβερνήταις· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀῤῥωστίας, οἱ δὲ λύσεις τούτων προλέγουσιν· οἱ δὲ πνευμάτων μεταβολὰς, οἱ δὲ τοῦ μέλλοντος συνέσει καταστοχάζονται. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ κοινὴ, καὶ δημώδης τοῦ μέλλοντος γνῶσις, οἷον ὅτι μετὰ τρεῖς μῆνας ὁ χειμών· πάντες