In Canticum canticorum

FROM THE SMALL VOLUME ON THE SONG

Which Origen wrote in his youth.

13.36 To one who has not understood the idiom of the persons of divine Scripture, both of those speaking and those to whom the word is addressed, the things that are said cause much confusion, as he seeks who the speaking person is, and of what sort is the one to whom the word is addressed, and when the speaking person has ceased, while the one addressed is often kept the same, and another speaks to the same one, or, while the one to whom the word is addressed no longer listens, another takes up what is said while the speaker remains. And sometimes both change, both the speaker and the one to whom the word is addressed; or, while both remain for a longer time, it is not clearly indicated that they remain. But why is it necessary to seek examples of each one of these, when the prophetic books are completely filled with their variety? Which is also a not insignificant cause of the obscurity of the things said, when it is not discerned. And this is also a custom of Scripture, for the prophets especially to jump quickly from a discourse about some things to one about others, and to do this obscurely and confusedly.

In Canticum canticorum

ΕΚ ΤΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΑΣΜΑ ΜΙΚΡΟΥ ΤΟΜΟΥ

Ὃν ἐν τῇ νεότητι ἔγραφεν Ὠριγένης.

13.36 Τῷ μὴ ἐξειληφότι τὸ ἰδίωμα τῶν προσώπων τῆς θείας Γραφῆς, τῶν τε λεγόντων καὶ τῶν πρὸς ἃ ὁ λόγος, πολλὴν παρέχει σύγχυσιν τὰ λεγόμενα, ζητοῦντι τὸ λέγον πρόσωπον, ὅ τι ποτέ ἐστι, καὶ τὸ πρὸς ὃ ὁ λόγος ὁποῖον, καὶ πότε τὸ λέγον ἐπαύσατο πρόσωπον, τοῦ πρὸς ὅ ἐστι πολλάκις τηρουμένου, καὶ ἑτέρου πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ λέγοντος, ἢ τῶν πρὸς ὃ ὁ λόγος οὐκέτι ἀκούοντος, ἑτέρου δὲ διαδεξαμένου τὰ λεγό- μενα, μένοντος τοῦ λέγοντος. Ἔστι δ' ὅτε μεταβάλλει ἀμφότερα, καὶ τὸ λέγον, καὶ τὸ πρὸς ὃ ὁ λόγος· ἢ ἐπὶ πλεῖον μένοντα ἀμφότερα, οὐ σαφῶς δηλοῦται μένοντα. Τί δὲ δεῖ τὰ παραδείγματα ζητεῖν ἑνὸς ἑκάστου τούτων, πάνυ τῶν προφητικῶν πεπληρω- μένων τῆς διαφορᾶς αὐτῶν; Ἥτις καὶ αἰτία ἐστὶ οὐχ ἡ τυχοῦσα μὴ διακρινομένης τῆς ἀσαφείας τῶν λεγομένων. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ αὕτη συνήθεια τῆς Γραφῆς, τὸ ταχέως μεταπηδᾷν ἀπὸ τοῦ περί τινων λόγου εἰς τὸν περὶ ἑτέρων, καὶ τοῦτο ἀσαφῶς ποιεῖν καὶ συγκεχυμένως μάλιστα τοὺς προφήτας.