Against Celsus 3.8
Summary: Origen argues from Hebrew names that the Israelites were not Egyptians, and says that Christians, forbidden to fight, have been protected by God, who has allowed only a few martyrs as examples while preserving the church.
Greek text · Koetschau 1:208–209
Καὶ οὕτω δὲ κατασκευαστέον ὅτι οὐκ Αἰγύπτιοι ἦσαν οἱ ἐξεληλυθότες μετὰ Μωϋσέως τὴν Αἴγυπτον· εἰ μὲν Αἰγύπτιοι ἦσαν, ἐχρῆν αὐτῶν τὰ ὀνόματα εἶναι Αἰγύπτια, ὡς ἑκάστῃ διαλέκτῳ συγγενεῖς εἰσιν αἱ προσηγορίαι· εἰ δʼ ἐκ τῶν ὀνομάτων Ἑβραϊκῶν ὄντων σαφὲς ὅτι οὐκ Αἰγύπτιοι ἦσαν (πλήρης γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν ὀνομάτων καὶ τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τοιαῦτα θεμένων τοῖς υἱοῖς), δῆλον ὅτι ψεῦδος τὸ λεγόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων. ὅτι Αἰγύπτιοι ὄντες ἀπηλάθησαν μετὰ Μωϋσέως ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰγύπτου· καὶ σαφῶς ἐναργές ἐστιν ὅτι ἐκ προγόνων Ἑβραίων κατὰ τὴν παρὰ Μωϋσεῖ ἀναγραφεῖσαν ἱστορίαν τὸ γένος ἔχοντες (ἰδίᾳ) διαλέκτῳ ἐχρῶντο, ἀφʼ ἧς καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα τοῖς υἱοῖς ἐτίθεντο. περὶ δὲ Χριστιανῶν, ἐπεὶ διδαχθέντες μὴ ἀμύνασθαι τοὺς πολεμίους ἐτήρησαν τὴν ἥμερον καὶ φιλάνθρωπον νομοθεσίαν, διὰ τοῦθʼ ὅπερ οὐκ ἂν ἐξουσίαν λαβόντες τοῦ πολεμεῖν, εἰ καὶ πάνυ ἦσαν δυνατοὶ, ἤνυσαν· τοῦτʼ ἀπὸ θεοῦ εἰλήφασι, τοῦ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν πολεμήσαντος ἀεὶ καὶ κατὰ καιροὺς παύσαντος τοὺς κατὰ Χριστιανῶν ἱσταμένους καὶ ἀναιρεῖν αὐτοὺς θέλοντας. ὑπομνήσεως μὲν γὰρ χάριν, ἵνα ἐνορῶντες ὀλίγοις ἀγωνιζομένοις ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας δοκιμώτεροι γίνωνται καὶ θανάτου καταφρονῶσιν, ὀλίγοι κατὰ καιροὺς καὶ σφόδρα εὐαρίθμητοι ὑπὲρ τῆς Χριστιανῶν θεοσεβείας τεθνήκασι, κωλύοντος θεοῦ τὸ πᾶν ἐκπολεμηθῆναι αὐτῶν ἔθνος· συστῆναι γὰρ αὐτὸ ἐβούλετο καὶ πληρωθῆναι πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τῆς σωτηρίου ταύτης καὶ εὐσεβεστάτης διδασκαλίας· πάλιν τε αὖ ἵνʼ οἱ ἀσθενέστεροι ἀναπνέωσιν ἀπὸ τῆς περὶ τοῦ θανάτου φροντίδος, ὁ θεὸς προὐνοεῖτο τῶν πιστευόντων, μόνῳ τῷ βουλήματι διασκεδαννὺς πᾶσαν τὴν κατʼ αὐτῶν ἐπιβουλὴν, ἵνα μήτε βασιλεῖς μήτε οἱ κατὰ τόπους ἡγούμενοι μήτε οἱ δῆμοι ἐξαφθῆναι κατʼ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πλεῖον δυνηθῶσι, ταῦτα μὲν πρὸς τὰ ὑπὸ Κέλσου εἰρημένα περὶ τοῦ στάσιν γεγονέναι τὴν ἀρχὴν πάλαι μὲν τοῦ συστῆναι Ἰουδαίους ὕστερον δὲ τοῦ τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς γενέσθαι.
English · Claude translation
It must also be established in this way that those who left Egypt with Moses were not Egyptians. If they were Egyptians, their names would have had to be Egyptian, since the names in each language are akin to it. But if it is clear from their names, which are Hebrew, that they were not Egyptians (for Scripture is full of Hebrew names, including those given to their sons by people in Egypt), it is evident that what the Egyptians say is false, that they were Egyptians driven out of Egypt with Moses. And it is plainly clear that, having their descent from Hebrew ancestors according to the history recorded by Moses, they used (their own) language, from which they also gave names to their sons. As for Christians, since, taught not to defend themselves against enemies, they kept the gentle and humane legislation, they have for this reason received from God what they would not have achieved if they had been given the right to make war, even if they had been very powerful: God has always fought for them and at times stopped those who rose against Christians and wished to kill them. For the sake of reminder, so that by seeing a few contending for piety others might become more approved and despise death, a few at times, and very easily numbered, have died for the Christian worship of God, while God prevented their whole nation from being destroyed by war; for he wished it to stand firm and the whole earth to be filled with this saving and most pious teaching. And again, so that the weaker might breathe freely from anxiety about death, God provided for believers, scattering by his will alone every plot against them, so that neither kings, nor local governors, nor the people could be inflamed against them any further. So much in reply to what Celsus said about rebellion having been the origin, long ago, of the formation of the Jews, and later of the Christians' coming to be.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- Origen's remark that only a few, “easily numbered,” had died as martyrs reflects the situation around AD 248, before the Decian persecution. The bracketed ἰδίᾳ is an editorial supplement.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (unread character in the digital text; the name is certain from context): Μω(??)σέως → Μωϋσέως.
Cite this passage
Origen, Cels. 3.8 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/3/8/).
Plain text
Origen, Cels. 3.8 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/3/8/).
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