Matthew 23:29–36
Let us search carefully what the Savior says. The Jews’ fathers killed the holy prophets in their times, who were ferrying the divine word to them. Those born from them, confessing that the prophets were august and honorable, fitted crowns around them — that is, tombs (Matthew 23:29–36) — assigning the honor most fitting to the holy, and by believing them prophets and holy men they became judges of those who killed them. For by the very means they chose to honor the slain, through those means they accuse their fathers as having acted impiously.
But those who condemned their own fathers for such terrible bloodshed were about to be caught by equal evils — rather, by still worse. They “killed the Author of life,” (Acts 3:15) and added to the impieties against him other bloodsheds against his marvelous disciples. For as long as someone examines others’ injustices judging by natural reasoning, he sees what is base and blames it; but when he himself is led into the same passions, he is carried upon them as if blind.
Greek
Τί δὴ ἄρα φησὶν ὁ σωτήρ, ἀκριβῶς ἐρευνήσομεν. οἱ μὲν τῶν Ἰου δαίων πατέρες ἀπέκτειναν κατὰ καιροὺς τοὺς ἁγίους προφήτας τὸν θεῖον αὐτοῖς διαπορθμεύοντας λόγον· οἵ γε μὴν ἐξ 32 αὐτῶν γεγονότες ὁμολογοῦντες, ὅτι οἱ προφῆται γεγόνασι σεπτοὶ καὶ τίμιοι, περιήρμοσαν αὐτοῖς τοὺς στεφάνους ἤτοι τὰ μνημεῖα τιμὴν ἀπονείμαντες τὴν τοῖς ἁγίοις πρεπωδεστάτην, αὐτοὶ δὲ προφήτας εἶναι πιστεύσαντες καὶ ἄνδρας ἁγίους κριταὶ γεγόνασιν τῶν ἀποκτεινάντων αὐτούς· δι' ὧν γὰρ τιμᾶν ἐγνώκασι τοὺς ἀνῃρημένους, διὰ τούτων αὐτῶν κατηγοροῦσιν ὡς ἠσε βηκότων. ἀλλ' οἱ τῶν ἰδίων πατέρων ἐπὶ ταῖς οὕτω δειναῖς μιαιφονίαι κατα ψηφισάμενοι τοῖς ἴσοις ἔμελλον ἁλῶναι κακοῖς, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῖς ἔτι χεί ροσιν. "ἀπέκτειναν" μὲν "τὸν τῆς ζωῆς ἀρχηγόν", προστεθείκασι δὲ ταῖς κατ' αὐτοῦ δυσσεβείαις μιαιφονίας ἑτέρας κατὰ τῶν θεσπεσίων αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν· ἕως μὲν γάρ τις τὰς ἑτέρων ἀδικίας ἐξετάζῃ φυσικῷ λογισμῷ κρίνων, ὁρᾷ τὸ φαῦλον καὶ μέμφεται, αὐτὸς δὲ εἰς τὰ ἴσα πάθη προαγόμενος οἱονεὶ τυφλὸς ἐπὶ ταῦτα φέρεται.
About this text
Catena fragments on Matthew (CPG 5206). Contents follow Matthew chapter and verse. Edition fragment numbers stay in About this text and under each passage.
English follows the named copy-text (Aegean/khazarzar Migne PG 72 extract). Other prints were checked as noted; no silent merge of recensions.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 72 Commentarii in Matthaeum (Aegean Digital Patrologia / khazarzar) (Greek · CPG 5206 catena fragments (290 parsed heads))
- Checked print matia.gr mirror of same Aegean extract (Greek · Byte-identical PDF; integrity check only)
- Checked print Internet Archive PG 72 volume OCR (bim … 1859_72) (Greek (OCR damaged) · Locus confirmation only; not used as reading text)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.