Hill, Robert C., ed., St. John Chrysostom Old Testament homilies Vol. 2 (Holy Cross Orthodox Press. Brookline. MA., 2003). ISBN: 1885652666
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Text name(s): Old Testament homilies

Number of pages of primary source text: 0

Medieval Author(s): Chrysostom, John

Dates: 349 - 407

Archival Reference:

Original Language(s): Greek;

Translation: English translation.

Translation Comments: Translated from the Greek text in J.P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca as found in Mountfacon's text.

Geopolitical Region(s): Byzantium;

County/Region: Syria; Antioch

Apparatus: Introduction

Comments:

John Chrysostom was a leading Church Father in Byzantium in the late fourth century. The second volume of this series on Chyrsostom’s homilies on the Old Testament comprises the “Homily on Jeremiah 10. 23”, the “Homily on Isaiah 45. 6-7”, and the six “Homilies on Isaiah 6”. The Homily on Jeremiah, also a product of Chrysostom’s Antiochian period, is actually a sermon on the necessity of quoting Scripture verses accurately and of considering the context of these verses against those who quote them haphazardly and with the apparent intent of relieving humanity of any moral responsibility for its actions. The “Homily on Isaiah 45.6-7,” is not as one might expect a treatise against God’s being the author of evil but is a long discussion of paradoxes found in the biblical text; here again Chrysostom feels compelled to reiterate the responsibility of every person for his or her own actions. These homilies actually treat the pericope about King Uzziah in II Chr 27 (whence these homilies are also known in the manuscript tradition as “On Uzziah”), who tried to offer incense in the temple, thereby usurping the role of the highpriest, only to be punished by being made a leper by God. Chrysostom uses the comparison of Isaiah’s call and the presumption of Uzziah to exhort the congregation to acknowledge the limits and boundaries of their created natures. It is also in these homilies that Chrysostom examines his ideas on the inspiration of the biblical text.

Introduction Summary:

There is a general introduction to the volume’s contents along with shorter introductions specific to each collection.The latter address questions of dating, provenance, subject, audience, and the like. Following the translations each volume contains a select, two page bibliography, notes to the translations (18 pages), and brief indices of subjects and of biblical citations (6-7 pages).

Cataloger: eak