Selecta in Judices

ORIGEN'S SELECTIONS ON JUDGES. 12.949 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. If the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, how does he vow things that are not fitting? For it was possible for even a dog to meet Jephthah as he was returning. Was the Spirit then mistaken? By no means; but the Spirit was present to help, not to suggest the absurd vow; but he himself errs by promising thoughtlessly. And they said to him, Say now Shibboleth. But they said stachys; it means sebela, which is astachys. But the others said sebelo and could not say sebela clearly. For although they happened to be Hebrews, yet by a slight corresponding difference they varied in the pronunciation of the dialect. The password, therefore, was sebela, which those who were questioned, by saying sebelo, were proved not to be of Jephthah's people, but of the rebels. And his wife was barren and had not borne children. He calls her barren not by nature, but on account of her service at the present time. A razor has not come upon my head, for I am a Nazirite of God. Throughout the whole story concerning Samson, his hair appears to provide all his strength. By the same author. Nazirite, according to the Syrian language, means one who is consecrated. But God commands Samson not to follow the custom of the Israelites, who at that time shaved their heads so as to be easily recognizable to all. And he made an Ephod and Teraphim. An Ephod was a priestly garment, and upon the priest wearing it the grace of the Holy Spirit would come. But the Teraphim was something of this sort, yet not divine, but idolatrous, as is shown in the books of Kings. And the sons of Benjamin went out. For what reason are they defeated, having gone forth justly? Or it is clear that it is on account of a pre-existing cause. And the psalm says: "When I find the opportune time, I will judge with equity." Then, after they were defeated, both a first and a second time, wrath came upon those who had done wrong, and they win a just victory.

Selecta in Judices

ΩΡΙΓΕΝΟΥΣ ΕΚΛΟΓΑΙ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΚΡΙΤΑΣ. 12.949 Καὶ εὔξατο Ἰεφθάε εὐχὴν τῷ Κυρίῳ. Εἰ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπ' αὐτὸν, πῶς εὔχεται ἃ μὴ προσήκει; Ἐνῆν γὰρ καὶ κύνα ἀπαντῆσαι ἐπανιόντι τῷ Ἰεφθάε. Ἆρ' οὖν ἐσφάλη τὸ Πνεῦμα; οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν Πνεῦμα βοηθεῖν παραγέγονεν, οὐχ ὑποβάλλειν τὴν ἄτοπον εὐχήν· αὐτὸς δὲ σφάλλεται ἀπερισκέπτως ὑποσχόμενος. Καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ Εἱπὸν δὴ στάχυς. Οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον στάχυς· σημαίνει σέβηλα, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἄσταχυς. Οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον σεβήλω καὶ οὐκ ἐδύναντο τρανῶς εἰπεῖν σέβηλα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ Ἑβραῖοι ἐτύγχανον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ συμμετρίαν βραχύτητι παρήλλασσον ἐν τῇ τῆς διαλέξεως προφορᾷ. Τὸ οὖν σύνθεμα ἦν σέβηλα, ὅπερ οἱ ἐπερωτώμενοι λέγοντες σεβήλω, ἠλέγχοντο οὐκ ὄντες τῶν οἰκείων τοῦ Ἰεφθάε, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐπαναστάντων. Καὶ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ στεῖρα καὶ οὐκ ἔτεκεν. Οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς διακονίας ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος στείραν καλεῖ. Σίδηρος οὐκ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου ὅτι Ναζιραῖος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγώ εἰμι. ∆ι' ὅλης τῆς περὶ τὸν Σαμψὼν ἱστορίας αἱ τρίχες φαίνονται τὴν πᾶσαν αὐτῷ περιποιεῖν ἰσχύν. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ναζιραῖον τὸ πεφυλαγμένον κατὰ τὴν Σύρων φωνὴν ὀνομάζει. Μὴ ἐξακολουθεῖν δὲ τῇ τάξει τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν τὸν Σαμψὼν ὁ Θεὸς προστάσσει, κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν ξυρωμένων διὰ τὸ εὐσήμους εἶναι πρὸς πάντας. Καὶ ἐποίησεν Ἐφὼδ καὶ Θεραφείν. Ἐφὼδ ὕφασμα ἦν ἱερατικὸν, ὅπερ περικειμένῳ τῷ ἱερεῖ ἐφοίτα τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἡ χάρις. Τὸ δὲ Θεραφεὶν τοιοῦτο μέντοι, οὐ θεϊκὸν δὲ, ἀλλ' εἰδωλικὸν, ὡς ἐν ταῖς βασιλείαις δείκνυται. Καὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμίν. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἡττῶνται δικαίως ἐπελθόντες; Ἢ δῆλον ὅτι διὰ προλαβούσης αἰτίας. Καὶ ὁ ψαλμός φησιν· «Ὅταν λάβω καιρὸν, ἐγὼ εὐθύτητας κρινῶ.» Εἶτα καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἡττηθῆναι, καὶ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν, μετῆλθεν ὀργὴ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἠδικηκότας, καὶ νικῶσι δίκαιαν νίκην.