The Piel Stem - Part 1

Those of us who learned Biblical Hebrew using Weingreen’s Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew had only a brief introduction to the force of the seven regular verb stems. For the Piel, Weignreen simply indicates “intensive action” in the chart on page 100 and a comment about the formation of the word:

“Note carefully that the Pi‘el, Pu‘al, and Hithpa‘el have Dageš Forte Characteristic in the second root-letter…thus giving greater weight to the stem and intensifying the meaning.” 

Later, Weingreen includes the helpful comment that “Some verbs are found in the Piel without a primary Qal, as בִקֵּשׁ ‘he hath sought’” (p. 105). Weingreen's introduction to Biblical Hebrew was good, and his introduction to the Piel was at least typical.

The recent grammar of Paul Joüon and T. Muraoka (A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew, Rome 1993) has one of the more thorough evaluations of the Piel. In their opening statement about the Piel, Joüon and Muraoka state: “The question how the function of Piel in relation to other conjugations, notably Qal, should be defined still remains one of the major challenges facing Hebrew and Semitic languages” (par. 52, p. 154-155, emphasis added).

In the Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar by Professor E. Kautzsch the Piel and its passive stem the Pual are given just over four pages (§52 a-s, pp. 139-143). About half of this space deals with the formation of the Piel and Pual, but there are some good comments about the function of the Piel:

“The fundamental idea of Piel…is to busy oneself eagerly with the action indicated by the stem. This intensifying idea of the stem…appears in individual cases as—(a) a strengthening and repetition of the action (cf. the intensive and iterative nouns with the middle radical strengthened, §84b)—(b) a causative sense (like hifil)… (c) Denominatives are frequently formed in this conjugation, and generally express a being occupied with the object expressed by the noun, either to form or to make use of it, e.g. קנן to make a nest, to nest…” (p. 141-142)

Some of Gesenius’ fine print has a few other helpful comments about the force of specific cases. I would like to examine the various forces of the Piel stem to aid our exegesis and our understanding of this stem which “still remains one of the major challenges facing Hebrew and Semitic languages.”

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon exegesis for July 7-9, 2012.

MARK 5:21

21 Καὶ διαπεράσαντος τοῦ ᾽Ιησοῦ πάλιν εἰς τὸ πέραν συνήχθη ὄχλος πολὺς ἐπ' αὐτόν, καὶ ἦν παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν. 

21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.

διαπεράσαντος, aorist participle διαπεράω "cross over;" preliminary participle.
ὄχλος πολὺς "a large crowd," a frequent expression in Mark (14x).
συνήχθη aorist passive indicative, aorist "began to gather around."

The crowds were constantly rushing around the Sea of Galilee to find him, no matter where he went or what means he used to cross. Sometimes it was Peter's fishing skiff (Mark 6:51-55), sometimes it was in one of the "Galilee taxis" or little botas for hire (Mark 4:34-41), and of course once it was even on foot across the waves (Mark 6:47-50). But the crowds would rush around and find him, time after time.

MARK 5:22

22 καὶ ἔρχεται εἷς τῶν ἀρχισυναγώγων, ὀνόματι ᾽Ιάϊρος, καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν πίπτει πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ 

22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.  

πίπτει πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ "fell at his feet" A position of prayer and of begging (1 Samuel 25:24; Luke 8:28), of a defeated enemy (2 Samuel 22:39; Psalm 18:38), of thanks (2 Kings 4:36). It will happen again in this very story when the woman with the flow of blood also falls at Jesus' feet (5:33).

This man was the ruler of a synagogue (Mark 5:22). There are no mentions of synagogues in the Old Testament, but they are fairly common in the New. The synagogues came into being because of the exile in Babylon. When Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:1, etc.) began carrying the Jews away into captivity, they found themselves far away from the temple (which Nebuchadnezzar burned down). God had commanded the people to bring sacrifices only to the one temple (see Exodus 25-31, especially 29:44-45; and 1 Kings 5:5 and 6:1), but now they had no temple and they were not in Jerusalem. They were in captivity for seventy years, through the reigns of Belshazzar (Daniel 8:1) and Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-4). Although Cyrus sent them home, ending the captivity in 539 BC, many Jews chose to stay behind. They were still in Babylon during the reign of Xerxes (Esther 10:1-3). Almost a century after the release, Nehemiah asked Artaxerxes' permission to briefly travel to Jerusalem (445 BC, see Nehemiah 2:1-9).

While they were away in this exile, how did they worship? They began to meet together to read the word of God and teach it to their children. They would also sing songs and pray. They might have said something like this: "Let's go together to so-and-so's house and read the Bible." Or they might have said, "There's no one to lead worship, so let's lead it together, taking turns." The Greek for both "go together" and "lead together" is syn-ago, so the place they went to (or took turns leading) was called a "synagogue."

The "ruler" of the synagogue was more of a chairman than an executive. He organized the rotation of who would lead, and he was also the custodian of the building (often his own house).


MARK 5:23-24

23 καὶ παρακαλεῖ αὐτὸν πολλὰ λέγων ὅτι Τὸ θυγάτριόν μου ἐσχάτως ἔχει, ἵνα ἐλθὼν ἐπιθῇς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῇ ἵνα σωθῇ καὶ ζήσῃ. 24 καὶ ἀπῆλθεν μετ' αὐτοῦ. 

23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.

Mark and Luke tell us that the girl was actually "almost dead." For his Roman readers, Mark (5:23) translates into Greek a Latin phrase, in extremis (ἐσχάτως ἔχει "she has the end (in sight); cp. our saying "on the brink"). Matthew ("My daughter has just died," 9:18) seems to have condensed the story for us.

Jesus had been in Capernaum for some time. Why didn't this man come to him sooner? We don't know. Perhaps his faith was somewhat shaky, or brand new. He didn't want to trouble Jesus, but now, at the last second, he needed him. Don't wait until the last second to ask God for help. Our whole lives are lives of prayer. Our Lord knows how to give good gifts. Don't be afraid to ask.

     Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.
     Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.  (Psalm 4:1)

At this point, a sick woman with a flow of blood intervened. It's difficult to include both events in a single sermon, although I feel strongly that from time to time the whole account should be bitten off and presented as a big unified account.

Since this sermon is on Jairus' daughter, we will jump ahead to verse 35 in the sermon, but here are some comments on verse 24b-34:


MARK 5:24b-28

Καὶ ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ ὄχλος πολύς, καὶ συνέθλιβον αὐτόν. 25 καὶ γυνὴ οὖσα ἐν ῥύσει αἵματος δώδεκα ἔτη 26 καὶ πολλὰ παθοῦσα ὑπὸ πολλῶν ἰατρῶν καὶ δαπανήσασα τὰ παρ' αὐτῆς πάντα καὶ μηδὲν ὠϕεληθεῖσα ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εἰς τὸ χεῖρον ἐλθοῦσα, 27 ἀκούσασα περὶ τοῦ ᾽Ιησοῦ, ἐλθοῦσα ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ ὄπισθεν ἥψατο τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ·  28 ἔλεγεν γὰρ ὅτι ᾽Εὰν ἅψωμαι κἂν τῶν ἱματίων αὐτοῦ σωθήσομαι.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him.  25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.  26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.  27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,  28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed."  

How do you express your faith? This chapter gives two very powerful pictures. Here was a man with a twelve-year-old girl (Mark 5:42). He knew that Jesus could save her. Here was a woman with a twelve-year-old condition. She knew that Jesus could save her.

We don't know the woman's condition (it may have been menorrhagia, or it may have been something else), but she had suffered a long time. Jesus knew, as Jesus knows all of our troubles and rescues us from them. Notice that the woman touched the edge of Jesus' cloak. Was she thinking of Zechariah 8:23 ("…take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you'")? Or was she thinking of the Old Testament passages about making tassels on garments (Numbers 15:38-39; Deuteronomy 22:12)? Or was she remembering the hem of the robe of the priests, as she put her faith in Jesus, the Great High Priest (Exodus 39:24-26)? Whatever her thinking, she knew Jesus would heal her.

Jesus knows our problems. He knows us inside and out, and he knows what we need. When we ask Jesus for help with a specific problem, we show him our faith just by the asking. Trust in him. He is the LORD, the Good Shepherd, who always keeps his promises, who leads us and guides us, and who covered over all of our sins.

          The LORD is good,
             a refuge in times of trouble.
          He cares for those who trust in him.
                              -- Nahum the Elkoshite (Nahum 1:7)

MARK 5:29-34 

29 καὶ εὐθὺς ἐξηράνθη ἡ πηγὴ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς, καὶ ἔγνω τῷ σώματι ὅτι ἴαται ἀπὸ τῆς μάστιγος. 30 καὶ εὐθὺς ὁ ᾽Ιησοῦς ἐπιγνοὺς ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν ἐπιστραϕεὶς ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ ἔλεγεν, Τίς μου ἥψατο τῶν ἱματίων; 31 καὶ ἔλεγον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, Βλέπεις τὸν ὄχλον συνθλίβοντά σε, καὶ λέγεις, Τίς μου ἥψατο; 32 καὶ περιεβλέπετο ἰδεῖν τὴν τοῦτο ποιήσασαν. 33 ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ϕοβηθεῖσα καὶ τρέμουσα, εἰδυῖα ὃ γέγονεν αὐτῇ, ἦλθεν καὶ προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. 34 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ, Θυγάτηρ, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε· ὕπαγε εἰς εἰρήνην, καὶ ἴσθι ὑγιὴς ἀπὸ τῆς μάστιγός σου.

29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.  30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"  31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'"  32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.  33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.  34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."  


The woman had weakly grasped at the hem of Jesus' cloak, but it was her faith grasping at Jesus himself that was important. She believed Jesus could and would help her. That means she already had faith in him. Now she was putting that faith into action. That's what one king of Judah was doing when he said to his people, "Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful" (2 Chronicles 20:20).

Faith is the channel through which God gives not only physical healing, but also true spiritual healing. David points out both kinds of healing when he says, "The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed" (Psalm 41:3) and "heal me, for I have sinned against you" (41:4). Solomon also prayed, "Whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is made...then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive." (1 Kings 8:37-39, 2 Chronicles 6:28-30).

The most important healing we have is God declaration of "not guilty." He has taken away our sins and declared our innocence (2 Chronicles 6:23).

          O LORD, I say to you, "You are my God."
             Hear, O LORD, my cry for mercy.
                              -- King David (Psalm 140:6)


Back to our story of Jairus' daughter...

MARK 5:35-36

35 ῎Ετι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἔρχονται ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀρχισυναγώγου λέγοντες ὅτι ῾Η θυγάτηρ σου ἀπέθανεν· τί ἔτι σκύλλεις τὸν διδάσκαλον; 36 ὁ δὲ ᾽Ιησοῦς παρακούσας τὸν λόγον λαλούμενον λέγει τῷ ἀρχισυναγώγῳ, Μὴ ϕοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε. 

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”  36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

The idea that they shouldn't "bother the teacher" (τί ἔτι σκύλλεις τὸν διδάσκαλον) anymore reveals the awe and reverence with which people held Jesus. And yet the beginning of verse 40 (see comments below) show that the reverence could quickly fall to ridicule.

Μὴ ϕοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε. "Stop being afraid. Just believe." These are some of the most powerfully comforting words in the Bible, because of what happens later in this story.


MARK 5:37-39

37 καὶ οὐκ ἀϕῆκεν οὐδένα μετ' αὐτοῦ συνακολουθῆσαι εἰ μὴ τὸν Πέτρον καὶ ᾽Ιάκωβον καὶ ᾽Ιωάννην τὸν ἀδελϕὸν ᾽Ιακώβου. 38 καὶ ἔρχονται εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἀρχισυναγώγου, καὶ θεωρεῖ θόρυβον καὶ κλαίοντας καὶ ἀλαλάζοντας πολλά, 39 καὶ εἰσελθὼν λέγει αὐτοῖς, Τί θορυβεῖσθε καὶ κλαίετε; τὸ παιδίον οὐκ ἀπέθανεν ἀλλὰ καθεύδει. 

37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 

The funeral was already underway. The familiar group of hired mourners was at the house, and the professional musicians were there. We shouldn't be shocked or confused by such things. They might be equally amazed that we put on dark or conservative clothes, that we make little noise at all and speak in hushed whispers, and that we tend to make casseroles when there is a funeral.

There was something different about this funeral, though: Jesus. Jesus arrived and claimed the girl was not dead, but sleeping. Now, it was obvious that she had died. There was no life in her body, her heart had stopped, her lungs had stopped taking in air -- she was dead. Yet David says, "Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death," calling death and sleep the same thing, from a believer's perspective (Psalm 13:3). What is the difference between death, and "sleeping death"? Sleeping death is truly death, but death that has an end, a resurrection.


MARK 5:40a

40 καὶ κατεγέλων αὐτοῦ. 

40 But they laughed at him. 

This is the word (καταγελάω) used in the translation of Job 30:1, "But now they mock me." The verb is an inceptive imperfect showing the beginning of an action repeated for some time.

Perhaps any individual member of that crowd believed jsut a little bit that Jesus could raise that little girl from the dead, but when one person laughed, the rest followed along. The devil likes to turn us down the wrong path with the "everybody else is doing it" trick. How quickly we're willing to turn away from faith and into folly! But this sin of doubt and of going along with the lemmings is also forgiven by Jesus' healing and peace.


MARK 5:40b-43

αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκβαλὼν πάντας παραλαμβάνει τὸν πατέρα τοῦ παιδίου καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰσπορεύεται ὅπου ἦν τὸ παιδίον· 41 καὶ κρατήσας τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ παιδίου λέγει αὐτῇ, Ταλιθα κουμ, ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον Τὸ κοράσιον, σοὶ λέγω, ἔγειρε. 42 καὶ εὐθὺς ἀνέστη τὸ κοράσιον καὶ περιεπάτει, ἦν γὰρ ἐτῶν δώδεκα. καὶ ἐξέστησαν εὐθὺς ἐκστάσει μεγάλῃ. 43 καὶ διεστείλατο αὐτοῖς πολλὰ ἵνα μηδεὶς γνοῖ τοῦτο, καὶ εἶπεν δοθῆναι αὐτῇ ϕαγεῖν.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. 

When this girl rose, alive, awake and certainly hungry (καὶ εἶπεν δοθῆναι αὐτῇ ϕαγεῖν,  verse 43), she did not go instantly into heaven. In fact, we don't know what happened to her, except that she certainly grew older, and died again. But she, and you and I, will rise from the sleep of death into eternal life. Jesus showed he has the power over life and death by raising her, and by raising himself. And he promises to raise us, too.

That's news that needs to spread.

          Answer me when I call to you,
               O my righteous God,
          Give me relief from my distress;
               Be merciful to me and hear my prayer. -- King David (Psalm 4:1)

Martyrdom of Polycarp 14:1-3

14 Οἱ δὲ οὐ καθήλωσαν μέν, προσέδησαν δὲ αὐτόν. ὁ δὲ ὀπίσω τὰς χεῖρας ποιήσας καὶ προσδεθείς, ὥσπερ κριὸς ἐπίσημος ἐκ μεγάλου ποιμνίου εἰς προσφοράν, ὁλοκαύτωμα δεκτὸν τῷ θεῷ ἡτοιμασμένον, ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶπεν·
.     Κύριε ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ὁ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ καὶ εὐλογητοῦ παιδός σου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πατήρ, δι’ οὗ τὴν περὶ σοῦ ἐπίγνωσιν εἰλήφαμεν, ὁ θεὸς [ὁ] ἀγγέλων καὶ δυνάμεων καὶ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως παντός τε τοῦ γένους τῶν δικαίων, οἳ ζῶσιν ἐνώπιόν σου· 2 εὐλογῶ σε, ὅτι ἠξίωσάς με τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ ὥρας ταύτης, τοῦ λαβεῖν με μέρος ἐν ἀριθμῷ τῶν μαρτύρων ἐν τῷ ποτηρίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς αἰωνίου ψυχῆς τε καὶ σώματος ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ πνεύματος ἁγίου· ἐν οἷς προσδεχθείην ἐνώπιόν σου σήμερον ἐν θυσίᾳ πίονι καὶ προσδεκτῇ, καθὼς προητοίμασας καὶ πρoεφανέρωσας καὶ ἐπλήρωσας, ὁ ἀψευδὴς καὶ ἀληθινὸς θεός. 3 διὰ τοῦτο καὶ περὶ πάντων σὲ αἰνῶ, σὲ εὐλογῶ, σὲ δοξάζω διὰ τοῦ αἰωνίου καί ἐπουρανίου ἀρχιερέως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀγαπητοῦ σου παιδός, δι’ οὗ σοὶ σὺν αὐτῷ καὶ πνεύματι ἁγίῳ [ἡ] δόξα καὶ νῦν [καὶ ἀεὶ] καὶ εἰς τοὺς μέλλοντας αἰῶνας. ἀμήν.
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14:3 [καὶ ἀεὶ] Mosquensis 160 (Latin: et in futurum in saecula saeculorum); text: Baroccianus 238; Paris 1452; Vindob. Hist. Greac.; S. Sep. Hierosl. I; Eusebius.
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14:2 εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς, John 5:21.

Polycarp’s Prayer
14 1 So instead of nailing him, they started to bind him instead. When he had put his hands behind his back and had been bound (like a good ram from a large flock for sacrifice, prepared as a burnt offering1 acceptable to God), he looked up to heaven and said, 
     “Lord God Almighty, Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received knowledge of you, God of angels and powers and every created thing, and the whole race of the just who dwell before you, 2 I bless you because you have considered me worthy of this day and hour to receive a portion in the cup of your Christ, among the number of martyrs, to the resurrection of eternal life of both soul and body in the incorruption of the Holy Spirit. May I be received today among them as a fine and acceptable sacrifice just as you have prepared beforehand and fulfilled, O undeceiving and true God. 3 For this reason and for all these things I praise you, I bless you and I glorify you, through the eternal and heavenly high priest Jesus Christ your beloved Son, through whom to you and the Holy Spirit with him be glory now and forever, Amen.”
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“now and forever, Amen,” One Greek Ms and Latin read “now, always and forever, Amen."

The body of Polycarp’s prayer is filled with Scriptural references and in fact contains very little that is not quoted verbatim from the Bible.

MPol. 14:1

Οἱ δὲ οὐ καθήλωσαν μέν, προσέδησαν δὲ αὐτόν. "So instead of nailing him, they started to bind him instead." Here is a traditional and classic μέν...δὲ clause.

καθήλωσαν aorist 3rd plural καθηλόω, "nail; nail to." Septuagint word: Psalm 119[118]:120, where the meaning might be "(my flesh) bristles up like nails."

προσέδησαν aorist 3rd plural προσδίδωμι "give over, hand over." Another Septuagint word (Ezekiel 16:34), although it occurs in the variant of Uncial D in Luke 24:30 for ἐπεδίδου (προσεδίδου) "he broke (the bread) and began to give it (over) to them..."

ὁλοκαύτωμα Greek "holocaust," whole burnt offering. Of course in the last century this word has taken on another meaning altogether because of the memory of the atrocities of the war, but such things cannot be read backward into this second century text.

δεκτὸν, "acceptable." Accusative singular δεκτός; cf. Luke 4:24. More common in the LXX.

κριός “ram,” (Latin aries, also used of a battering-ram), Gen. 22:13; Ezek. 46:6; Daniel (Theod.)  8:3, 20; and many times in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.


MPol. 14:2

Κύριε ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, “Lord God Almighty.” Amos 3:13; 4:13; 5:8, 14-16; 9:15; Hos. 12:5; Rev. 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22; Apostolic Constitutions 8,15,2; cf. Didache 10:3.

πατήρ, “Father…” Apost. Const. 8,15,2, “Master, God Almighty, Father of your Christ, your blessed son…”

ὁ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ... σου “of your beloved,” Matt 12:8; cf. Mark 1:1; 9:7; Diog. 8:11; 1 Clement 59:2.

καὶ εὐλογητοῦ, “and blessed” Apost. Const. 8,15,2; cf. Matt 12:8.

παιδός “Son,” Isaiah 52:13; Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30; Barn 9:2; Diog 8:9,11; 9:1; 1 Clem. 59:2-4; Apost. Const. 8,15,2.

Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ “Jesus Christ,” (cf. “Father” above)

δι’ οὗ “through whom,” (referring to the work of Christ on our behalf) cf. 1 Clem. 58:2; 59:2, 3; 61:3; 62; 65; 2 Clem 20:5.

τὴν περὶ σοῦ ἐπίγνωσιν εἰλήφαμεν “we have received knowledge of you” 1 Clem 59:2; cf. Did 9:2-3; 10:2; Apost Const 8,11,2.

ὁ θεὸς ἀγγέλων “God of angels” Apost. Const. 8,12,8.

καὶ δυνάμεων “and powers” 1 Kings 17:1; Psalm 59:5; cf. Judith 9:14; 13:4.

καὶ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως “and every created thing” Judith 9:2 (cf. Colossians 1:15)

παντός τε τοῦ γένους τῶν δικαίων “and the whole race of the just”   Hermas Hs 9,17,5; cf. Mart. Polycarp 17:1.


MPol. 14:3

εὐλογῶ σε “I bless you” Acts of Paul and Thecla 24; Lk 1:64; 2:28; 24:53.

ὅτι ἠξίωσάς με “because you have considered me worthy”  4 Macc. 18:3.

τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ ὥρας ταύτης, “of this day and hour” Cf. John 12:27. He means, the moment of his martyrdom.

μέρος “a portion” Rev. 20:6.

ἐν ἀριθμῷ “among the number” Cf. Exodus 12:4; Deut. 32:8; Luke 22:3; Rev. 6:9-11; 7:4; 13:17, 18; 15:2; 1 Clement 59:2.

ἐν τῷ ποτηρίῳ  “in the cup” Mark 14:26

τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου “of your Christ” Apost. Const. 8,15,2.

εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς αἰωνίου “to the resurrection of eternal life” John 5:29

ψυχῆς τε καὶ σώματος  “soul and body” Apost. Const. 8,14,2

ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ “in the incorruption” Cf. 4 Macc 17:2

ἐν θυσίᾳ πίονι “be received as a rich sacrifice” Cf. Dan 3:39-40; 4 Macc 1:11.

πρεφανέρωσας “prepared” Cf. Didache 10:5

ὁ ἀψευδὴς καὶ ἀληθινὸς θεός “undeceiving and true God” Cf. John 17:3; Ign Rom 8:2; Apost. Con. 8,18,1

σὲ δοξάζω καὶ περὶ πάντων σὲ αἰνῶ, σὲ εὐλογῶ “I praise…bless…glorify you”    All Biblical, but found in this order first in Apost. Con. 7,47,2; 8,12,27

διὰ τοῦ αἰωνίου καί ἐπουρανίου ἀρχιερέως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ “Eternal and heavenly high priest Jesus Christ”     Polycarp 12:2; 1 Clement 61:3; Ch. 64; Apost. Con 7,47,2

ἀγαπητοῦ σου παιδός, δι’ οὗ σοὶ σὺν αὐτῷ καὶ πνεύματι ἁγίῳ δόξα καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς τοὺς μέλλοντας αἰῶνας “Beloved son through whom…forever”   Cf. 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Clement 65:2.

Martyrdom of Polycarp 13:1-3

13 1 Ταῦτα οὖν μετὰ τοσούτου τάχους ἐγένετο, θάττον ἢ ἐλέγετο, τῶν ὄχλων παραχρῆμα συναγόντων ἔκ τε τῶν ἐργαστηρίων καὶ βαλανείων ξύλα καὶ φρύγανα, μάλιστα Ἰουδαίων προθύμως, ὡς ἔθος αὐτοῖς, εἰς ταῦτα ὑπουργούντων. 2 ὅτε δὲ ἡ πυρκαϊὰ ἡτοιμάσθη, ἀποθέμενος ἑαυτῷ πάντα τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ λύσας τὴν ζώνην ἐπειρᾶτο καὶ ὑπολύειν ἑαυτόν, μὴ πρότερον τοῦτο ποιῶν διὰ τὸ ἀεὶ ἕκαστoν τῶν πιστῶν σπoυδάζειν, ὅστις τάχιoν τοῦ χρωτὸς αὐτοῦ ἅψηται· παντὶ γὰρ καλῷ ἀγαθῆς ἕνεκεν πολιτείας καὶ πρὸ τῆς μαρτυρίας ἐκεκόσμητο. 3 εὐθέως οὖν αὐτῷ περιετίθετο τὰ πρὸς τὴν πυρὰν ἡρμοσμένα ὄργανα. μελλόντων δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ προσηλοῦν, εἶπεν· Ἄφετέ με οὕτως· ὁ γὰρ δοὺς ὑπομεῖναι τὸ πῦρ δώσει χωρὶς τῆς ὑμετέρας ἐκ τῶν ἥλων ἀσφαλείας ἄσκυλτον ἐπιμεῖναι τῇ πυρᾷ.

The Pyre is Prepared
13 1 This happened then so quickly – more quickly than it will take to relate it. The crowd wasted no time gathering wood and fuel from the shops and bathhouses. The Jews were especially energetic (as they usually are) in helping with this. 2 When the pyre was made ready, he willingly removed all his outer clothes and loosened his belt. He also tried to take off his own shoes, although he wasn’t used to doing this since each of the faithful always rushed to be the first to touch his flesh, for he was adorned with every (power) because of his godly way of life even before his martyrdom. 3 At once the material prepared for the pyre was set around him. As they were also about to nail him, he said, “Leave me as I am. He who makes it possible for me to endure the fire will also make it possible for me to remain on the pyre untroubled by nails.”
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13:1 θάττον Attic adverb; comparative (neuter accusative singular) of ταχέως “quickly, without delay.” In Homeric Greek, ταχέως was not the comparative of ταχύς, although the superlative τάχιστα was used. Instead, Homer preferred θᾶσσον (adv) and θᾶσσων (adj). The form θάττον survives in the Fathers only here and in 1 Clement 65:1. Cf. Autenreith's A Homeric Dictionary, 1876/1901.

13:1 φρύγανα "bathhouses," the public baths, where water was heated in an elaborate system of pipes and used a considerable amount of wood and sometimes other fuel such as charcoal.

13:1 ὑπουργούντων present active participle m gen pl ὑπουργέω, “be helpful.” Test. Dan. 3:4.

13:1 ὡς ἔθος αὐτοῖς "as they usually are," not so much anti-semitism as the bitterness of experience expressing itself by one who has been persecuted in this way.

13:2 ἡ πυρκαϊά (some mss. read πυρά as in verse 3 below) “pyre; funeral pyre; conflagration.” According to Lampe, the verb πυρκαϊάζω “cause to burn, blaze up” also occurs.

13:3 ἡρμοσμένα perfect passive participle neuter nom/acc plural ἁρμόζω, “fit, fit together.” Dg. 12:9. In the middle, it can mean “betrothed” as in 2 Cor. 11:2; commonplace as “fit in” in Hermas (Hs 9,7,2 and 4; 9,9,3; Hv 3,2,8; 3,6,5; 3,7,6).

13:3 ὄργανα “a work, tool; instrument.” Apart from the Fathers (2 Clem. 18:2; IRom 4:2) this is mainly a Septuagint word (2 Sam. 6:5,14; 1 Chr. 5:13; 6:17; 15:16; 16:5; 2 Macc. 12:27; 13:5; 4 Macc. 10:7).

13:3 προσηλοῦν present infinitive of the -όω contract verb προσηλόω, “fasten, nail” (here “nail” since the nails, ἥλων, are specifically mentioned). Cp. Colossians 2:14.

13:3 τῆς ὑμετέρας possessive adjective, fem gen sg ὑμετέρoς, “your.”

13:3 ἄσκυλτον adj., accusative singular from ἄσκυλτος “untroubled; not tortured; undisturbed.” This is the only occurrence in the Fathers; it does not occur in the NT or LXX. It occurs in the Apostolic Constitutions (1,3,8), and the adverb ἀσκύλτως “without flinching, without budging, without trouble” occurs in later  Byzantine Greek.

13:3 ἥλων gen. plural ἥλoς “nail(s).”

Martyrdom of Polycarp 12:1-3

The father of Christians; the destroyer of our gods!
12 1 Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ἕτερα πλείονα λέγων θάρσους καὶ χαρᾶς ἐνεπίμπλατο, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ χάριτος ἐπληροῦντο, ὥστε οὐ μόνον μὴ συμπεσεῖν ταραχθέντα ὑπὸ τῶν λεγομένων πρὸς αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ τοὐαντίον τὸν ἀνθύπατον ἐκστῆναι, πέμψαι τε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ κήρυκα ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ σταδίου κηρῦξαι τρίς· Πολύκαρπος ὡμολόγησεν ἑαυτὸν Χριστιανὸν εἶναι. 2 τούτου λεχθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ κήρυκος, ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος ἐθνῶν τε καὶ Ἰουδαίων τῶν τὴν Σμύρναν κατοικούντων ἀκατασχέτῳ θυμῷ καὶ μεγάλῃ φωνῇ ἐπεβόα· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τῆς Ἀσίας διδάσκαλος, ὁ πατὴρ τῶν Χριστιανῶν, ὁ τῶν ἡμετέρων θεῶν καθαιρέτης, ὁ πολλοὺς διδάσκων μὴ θύειν μηδὲ προσκυεῖν. ταῦτα λέγοντες ἐπεβόων καὶ ἠρώτων τὸν Ἀσιάρχην Φίλιππον, ἵνα ἐπαφῇ τῷ Πολυκάρπῳ λέοντα. ὁ δὲ ἔφη, μὴ εἶναι ἐξὸν αὐτῷ, ἐπειδὴ πεπληρώκει τὰ κυνηγέσια. 3 τότε ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐπιβοῆσαι, ὥστε τὸν Πολύκαρπον ζῶντα κατακαῦσαι. ἔδει γὰρ τὸ τῆς φανερωθείσης αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τοῦ προσκεφαλαίου ὀπτασίας πληρωθῆναι, ὅτε ἰδῶν αὐτὸ καιόμενoν πρoσευχόμενoς εἰπεν ἐπιστραφεὶς τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ πιστοῖς προφητικῶς· Δεῖ με ζῶντα καῆναι.

12 1 As he spoke these and other things, he was filled with courage and joy, and his face was filled with grace, so that not only did he not collapse in terror at what was said, but on the contrary, the proconsul was amazed. He sent his herald into the center of the stadium to announce three times, “Polycarp has confessed that he is a Christian!” 
     2 When the herald said this, the whole crowd of Gentiles and Jews who lived in Smyrna yelled with uncontrolled anger and cried out: “This is the teacher of Asia, the father of the Christians, the destroyer of our gods; the one who teaches many not to sacrifice or to worship!” 
     They said this, shouting and asking for Philip the Asiarch to set a lion upon Polycarp. But he said that he had no right to do that since he had ended the animal hunts. 
     3 Then it occurred to them to start shouting all together that he burn Polycarp alive (for it was necessary the vision be fulfilled that had appeared to him when he saw his pillow burning as he prayed and turned and said prophetically to those faithful who were with him, “I must be burned alive”).¹
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¹ 12:3 Cf. Genesis 38:24; Judges 15:6, etc.

12:1 θάρσους acc pl θάρσος “courage.”

12:1 ἐνεπίμπλατο imperfect active indicative 3 sg ἐμπίμπλημι, “fill, satisfy; enjoy.” Proverbs 30:15.

12:1 συμπεσεῖν future active infinitive συμπίπτω, “collapse, fall.”

12:2 λεχθέντος aorist passive participle masc/neut gen sg λέγω “say, speak, tell.” The unusual thing here is that in the aorist passive, the expected participle of λέγωwould be ῥηθείς as in Matthew 3:3; Genesis 45:27; Daniel 8:26 (Theod); 1 Esdras 1:45; 2 Macc. 14:11; 3 Macc. 5:30, or the very common neuter sg. ῥηθέν Mt. 1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 22:31; 24:15 and 27:9. This more rare form occurs in the LXX in Joshua 24:27 (τὰ  λεχθέντα) and in Esther 1:18: “the noble ladies of Persia and Media who have heard (λεχθέντα) of the queen's behavior.”

12:2 ἀκατασχέτῳ rare adjective (ἀκατάσχετον 3 Macc. 6:17) “uncontrollable.” Cp. ἀκατάστατον James 3:8.

12:2 Ἀσιάρχην  “Asiarch,” the head of the confederation of the principal Roman cities in Asia Minor, the Commune Asiae. He presided over the games and was effectively the chief priest of Asia.

12:2 Φίλιππον “Philip,” called a Trallian (Τραλλιανοῦ) in chapter 21, where he is also described as “high priest” (ἀρχιερέως). Strabo says that Trallians were often made Asiarchs because of the wealth of their city. This Philip is also mentioned in an inscription at Olympia dating to 149 AD (Ὀλυμπιάδι σλβ', the 239th Olympics).

12:2  ἐπεβόα (imf 3rd sg) and ἐπεβόων (m gen pl ptc) ἐπιβoάω, “cry out loudly.” Cf. Acts 25:24 (v.l. TR); MPol 3.

12:2 λέοντα acc m sg λέων, “lion.” Eccl. 9:4, etc.

12:2 τὰ κυνηγέσια “(animal) hunt.” Only here in our lit., but related to the verb κυνηγέω in the Septuagint (καὶ  ἦν  Ησαυ  ἄνθρωπος  εἰδὼς  κυνηγεῖν  ἄγροικος, “Esau became sure of the hunt/a skillful hunter,” Genesis 25:27) and the noun κυνήγιoν (Sirach 13:19).

12:3 ὀπτασίας “vision,” fem acc pl ὀπτασία, 2 Cor. 12:1; also something like “appearance,” Sirach 43:2; 43:16; etc. Also “public appearance,” in the Additions to Esther 4:17[23].

12:3 καῆναι aorist passive infinitive; καίω “burn,” passive “be burned.”

Martyrdom of Polycarp 11:1-2

11 Ὁ δὲ ἀνθύπατος εἶπεν· Θηρία ἔχω, τούτοις σε παραβαλῶ, ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσῃς. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Κάλει, ἀμετάθετος γὰρ ἡμῖν ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν κρειττόνων ἐπὶ τὰ χείρω μετάνοια· καλὸν δὲ μετατίθεσθαι ἀπὸ τῶν χαλεπῶν ἐπὶ τὰ δίκαια. 2 ὁ δὲ πάλιν πρὸς αὐτόν· Πυρί σε ποιῶ δαπανηθῆναι, εἰ τῶν θηρίων καταφρονεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσῃς. ὁ δὲ Πολύκαρπος [εἶπεν]· Πῦρ ἀπειλεῖς τὸ πρὸς ὥραν καιόμενον καὶ μετ’ ὀλίγον σβεννύμενον· ἀγνοεῖς γὰρ τὸ τῆς μελλούσης κρίσεως καὶ αἰωνίου κολάσεως τοῖς ἀσεβέσι τηρούμενον πῦρ. ἀλλὰ τί βραδύνεις; φέρε, ὃ βούλει.

Polycarp Threatened with Wild Beasts
11 The proconsul said, “I have wild animals – I will throw you to them unless you change your mind.” But he replied, “Call for them! A change from better to worse is impossible for us. But it is right to change from evil to good.” 
     2 Again he said, “I will have you consumed by fire if you despise wild animals – unless you change your mind.” Polycarp replied, “You threaten fire that burns for an hour and is soon quenched, for you are ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and the eternal punishment reserved for the wicked. But why are you waiting? Come! Do what you will!”

11:1 θηρία “wild animals.” The idea of fighting wild animals in the arena is present in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 15:32) but begins to be a more and more prevalent theme throughout the Fathers: IRom. 4:1f.; 5:3; ISmyr. 4:2; MPol 3; 11; Hv 3,2,1.

παραβαλῶ "I shall throw (you)" The transitive use of παραβάλλω doesn't occur in the New Testament except in a variant reading like the cognate Byzantine phrase in Mark 4:30 pointed out by BAG: πoίᾳ παραβολῇ παραβάλωμεν αὐτὴν; “With what sort of parable shall we use in comparing it?” The transitive meaning does occur elsewhere in the Fathers: 1 Clement 55:6 (relating the Esther story); Diognetus 7:7.

11:2 δαπανηθῆναι aor pass inf δαπανάω, which has a primary meaning of “spend” but here takes a secondary meaning of “expend; destroy; be consumed (by fire).” A similar meaning occurs in 2 Macc. 1:23; 2:10; and in Hermas (Hm 12,1,2).

11:2 καιόμενον “burning,” present passive participle καίω “burn.” The theme of hell as a burning fire is present throughout the Bible. Isaiah ends his final chapter with this warning about "those who rebelled against me:" "Their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind" (Isaiah 66:24). Jude describes the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah this way: "They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire" (Jude 7).

11:2 ἀσεβέσι “godless, impious.” Adjective, masc dative plural ἀσεβής. 1 Peter 4:18. Accused of being an atheist, Polycarp proclaims God's judgment on men like the proconsul who are utterly godless.

11:2 βραδύνεις “(Why) do you delay” present active indicative  3 sing. βραδύνω (cp. 1 Timothy 3:15).

Martyrdom of Polycarp 10:1-2

10 1 Ἐπιμένοντος δὲ´πάλιν αὐτοῦ καὶ λέγοντος· Ὄμοσον τὴν Καίσαρος τύχην, ἀπεκρίνατο· Εἰ κενοδοξεῖς, ἵνα ὀμόσω τὴν καίσαρος τύχην, ὡς σὺ λέγεις, προσποιεῖ δὲ ἀγνοεῖν με, τίς εἰμι, μετὰ παρρησίας ἄκουε· Χριστιανός εἰμι. εἰ δὲ θέλεις τὸν τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ μαθεῖν λόγον, δὸς ἡμέραν καὶ ἄκουσον. 2 ἔφη ὁ ἀνθύπατος· Πεῖσον τὸν δῆμον. ὁ δὲ Πολύκαρπος εἶπεν· Σὲ μὲν κἂν λόγου ἠξίωσα· δεδιδάγμεθα γὰρ ἀρχαῖς καὶ ἐξουσίαις ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τεταγμέναις τιμὴν κατὰ τό προσῆκον, τὴν μὴ βλάπτουσαν ἡμᾶς, ἀπονέμειν· ἐκείνους δὲ οὐχ ἡγοῦμαι ἀξίους τοῦ ἀπολογεῖσθαι αὐτοῖς.


“I am a Christian.”
10 Since he persisted and said, “Swear by the Fortunes of Caesar,” he answered, “If you vainly expect that I will swear by—as you say—the Fortune of Caesar, and act as if t I don’t know who I am, then listen to me openly: I am a Christian! If you want to learn the teaching of Christianity,u then name the day and hear about it. 2 The proconsul replied, “Persuade the people.” Polycarp answered, “To you indeed I consider myself accountable, for we have been taught to give honor the rulers and authorities appointed by God as long as it does not harm us. As for these, I don’t consider myself worthy to defend myself before them.”
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10:2 "worthy to defend myself before them" or perhaps "bound to defend myself before them."

10:1 Ὄμοσον “Swear” is an aorist (II Aor.) imperative from ὀμνύω or ὄμνυμι. This is the primary verb in Jesus' words to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:20-22. Moulton says that “Verbs in -υμι, of more than two syllables, are without the 2nd aorist. But those of two syllables are generally only used in the 2nd aorist (he includes several examples)” (The Analytical Greek Lexicon, Revised 1978 Edition, p. xxxvi). ὄμοσον, the verb before us, follows the 2nd aorist pattern:

ὄμοσον     2nd singular
ὀμότω       3rd singular
  ὄμοτε        2nd plural
ὀμότωσαν 3rd plural
ὄμοτον      2nd dual
ὀμότων      3rd dual

10:1 προσποιεῖ “pretend, act as if.” Present active indicative 3 sg προσποιέομαι. Cf. Luke 24:28; Susanna 1:10 (the translations find this passage difficult, but KJV’s “yet durst not shew another his grief” catches the mood if not the grammar).

10:1 Χριστιανισμοῦ “Christianity” a word found only in this document and the letters of Ignatius (IRo 3:3; IMg 10:1,3; IPhld 6:1).

10:2 λόγον accusative singular, but here in the sense of “an account” rather than simply “word,” Compare Hebrews 4:13, πρὸς ὃν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος “to whom we must give account.”

10:2 δεδιδάγμεθα perfect passive participle m nom pl διδάσκω, “teach.” Polycarp’s point is that Christians abide by all laws of the Empire except where those laws clearly circumvent the authority of God himself (Acts 5:29).

10:2 προσῆκον present active participle  neuter nom sg προσήκω, a Septuagint word (1 Esdras 5:50; 2 Macc. 3:6) “be near, to have come/arrived at.”

10:2  ἀπολογεῖσθαι present middle infinitive  ἀπολογέομαι, “defend oneself,” a natural occurrence of the middle voice retaining its middle force.

Martyrdom of Polycarp 9:1-3

Polycarp’s Trial
9 1 Τῷ δὲ Πολυκάρπῳ εἰσιόντι εἰς τὸ στάδιον φωνὴ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐγένετο· Ἴσχυε, Πολύκαρπε, καὶ ἀνδρίζου. καὶ τὸν μὲν εἰπόντα οὐδεὶς εἶδεν, τὴν δὲ φωνὴν τῶν ἡμετέρων οἱ παρόντες ἤκουσαν. καὶ λοιπὸν προσαχθέντος αὐτοῦ, θόρυβος ἦν μέγας ἀκουσάντων, ὅτι Πολύκαρπος συνείληπται. 2 προσαχθέντα οὖν αὐτὸν ἀνηρώτα ὁ ἀνθύπατος, εἰ αὐτὸς εἴη Πολύκαρπος. τοῦ δὲ ὁμολογοῦντος, ἔπειθεν ἀρνεῖσθαι λέγων· Αἰδέσθητί σου τὴν ἡλικίαν, καὶ ἕτερα τούτοις ἀκόλουθα, ὡς ἔθος αὐτοῖς λέγειν· Ὄμοσον τὴν Καίσαρος τύχην, μετανόησον, εἶπον· Αἶρε τοὺς ἀθέους. ὁ δὲ Πολύκαρπος ἐμβριθεῖ τῷ πρoσώπῳ εἰς πάντα τὸν ὄχλον τὸν ἐν τῷ σταδίῳ ἀνόμων ἐθνῶν ἐμβλέψας καὶ ἐπισείσας αὐτοῖς τὴν χεῖρα, στενάξας τε καὶ ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶπεν· Αἶρε τοὺς ἀθέους. 3 ἐγκειμένου δὲ τοῦ ἀνθυπάτου καὶ λέγοντος· Ὄμοσον, καὶ ἀπολύω σε, λοιδόρησον τὸν Χριστὸν, ἔφη ὁ Πολύκαρπος· Ὀγδoήκoντα καὶ ἓξ ἔτη δουλεύω αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐδέν με ἠδίκησεν· καὶ´πῶς δύναμαι βλασφημῆσαι τὸν βασιλέα μου τὸν σώσαντά με;

9 1 As he entered the stadium, a voice from heaven came to Polycarp: “Be strong and courageous, Polycarp!” No one saw the one who spoke, but many of our people heard the voice. Then, as he was brought forward,there was a very loud uproar now that they heard that Polycarp had been arrested. 2 So after he was brought forward, the proconsul asked him whether it was he, and when he admitted this, he tried to persuade him to deny his faith, saying “Respect you age,” and the other things that always follow this, like “Swear by the Genius of Caesar, change your mind,” and “Say: ‘Away with the atheists!’” 3 When the proconsul kept saying, “Take the oath and I will let you go; revile Christ,” Polycarp replied, “I have served him eighty-six years and he has never dealt injustly with me in any way. How can I blaspheme my king – the one who saved me?”
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9:1 “Be strong and courageous.” Joshua 1:6, 7, 9; Deuteronomy 31:7; Ps-Ign. Hero 8.
9:2 “Away with the atheists,” that is, the Christians, because they deny the divinity of Caesar.

9:1 εἰσιόντι present active participle m dat sg εἴσειμι, “enter, go in.”

9:1 προσαχθέντος “bring forward” aorist passive participle προσάγω. I have taken the participle to be preliminary, as aorist circumstantial participles so often are.

9:2 ἀνηρώτα imperfect active indicative  3rd sg ἀνερωτάω “ask.” The ἀν- prefix probably intensifies the meaning, and we should understand a meaning like “pressed, inquired.” The word does not appear in Lampe's patristic lexicon, but the noun ἀνηρώτησις is there with the meaning "inquiry" (from Justin Martyr, Dialogue 68,3).

9:2 Αἰδέσθητί “respect, have regard for” Aorist passive αἰδέoμαι, a Septuagint word meaning primarily "be ashamed" but also "respect" (Prov. 24:23).

9:2 ἐμβριθεῖ “dignified, serious” ἐμβριθῆς.

9:2 ἐπισείσας “shake (one’s fist) at” Aorist ἐπισείω. The secondary meaning “urge on, incite” is used in the variant ἐπεισείσαντες of Acts 14:19 (Uncial D); cf. also 1 Samuel 26:19:  “The Lord has incited you against me.”

9:3 Ὀγδoήκoντα καὶ ἓξ ἔτη  “eighty-six years,” Polycarp was born in about 70 AD, around the time of the destruction of the temple. He would have been in his twenties when John was writing his books; just the age to have been able to still be called a disciple of John.

9:3 λοιδόρησον “revile, abuse” aorist λοιδoρέω, as in John 9:28; Acts 23:4.

9:3 βλασφημῆσαι τὸν βασιλέα μου  “How can I blaspheme my king?” Christ is truly King over all mankind, and the Christian in particular understands this through the sacrifice he made and the rescue he brought for all mankind from our sins. 

Martyrdom of Polycarp 8:1-3

8  1 Ἐπεὶ δε ποτε κατέπαυσεν τὴν προσευχήν, μνημονεύσας ἁπάντων καὶ τῶν πώποτε συμβεβληκότων αὐτῷ, μικρῶν τε καὶ μεγάλων, ἐνδόξων τε καὶ ἀδόξων καὶ πάσης τῆς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας, τῆς ὥρας ἐλθούσης τοῦ ἐξιέναι, ὄνῳ καθίσαντες αὐτὸν ἤγαγον εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ὄντος σαββάτου μεγάλου. 2 καὶ ὑπήντα αὐτῷ ὁ εἰρήναρχος Ἡρώδης καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ Νικήτης, οἳ καὶ μεταθέντες αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν καροῦχαν ἔπειθον παρακαθεζόμενοι καὶ λέγοντες· Τί γὰρ κακόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν· Κύριος καῖσαρ, καὶ ἐπιθῦσαι καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἀκόλουθα καὶ διασώζεσθαι; ὁ δὲ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτοῖς, ἐπιμενόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἔφη· Οὐ μέλλω ποιεῖν, ὃ συμβουλεύετέ μοι. 3 οἱ δὲ ἀποτυχόντες τοῦ πεῖσαι αὐτὸν δεινὰ ῥήματα ἔλεγον αὐτῷ καὶ μετὰ σπουδῆς καθῄρουν αὐτόν, ὡς κατιόνοτα ἀπὸ τῆς καρούχας ἀποσῦραι τὸ ἀντικνήμιον. καὶ μὴ ἐπιτραφείς, ὡς οὐδὲν πεπονθὼς προθύμως μετὰ σπουδῆς ἐπορεύετο, ἀγόμενος εἰς τὸ στάδιον, θορύβου τηλικούτου ὄντος ἐν τῷ σταδίῳ, ὡς μηδὲ ἀκουσθῆναί τινα δύνασθαι.

Polycarp’s Trial
8 1 When he had finally finished his prayer (in which he remembered everyone he had ever met, great and small, high and low, and the whole Christian1 church throughout the world), the hour came for them to go, and they set him on a donkey and brought him into the city. It was a high Sabbath. 2 The police captain Herod and Nicetes his father met him. They moved him into their carriage and sat down beside him, trying to persuade him, saying, “Why? What is wrong with saying ‘Caesar is Lord’ and sacrificing and the other things, and be saved?” 
     At first he didn’t answer them, but when they kept it up, he said: “I’m not about to do what you advise me.”
     3 Since they failed to persuade him, they began to threaten him and pulled him out of the carriage so violently that on his way down he scraped his shin. Without turning around, he walked along quickly as if he had no injury.
     While he was being led into the stadium, the uproar was so loud that many could not even hear the announcement.

1 8:1 Christian, Greek catholic, but of course in the “universal” sense and not in the “Roman Catholic” sense.

8:2 καροῦχαν “carriage,” ἐπί with the accusative “into the carriage.” A carruca (Latin) is actually a Celtic loanword brought into Greek and the Romance languages after contact was made with the British isles. This is the only use of this word in our literature except a variant of Isaiah 66:20 in Symmachus’ Greek Old Testament.

8:2 παρακαθεζόμενοι “sit down beside.” Pres middle participle παρακαθίζω. Hv 5:2; Job 2:13; Luke 10:39 (variant in textus receptus). This verse is not mentioned in BAGD.

8:2 ἀκόλουθα “following,” acc. pl, ἀκόλουθoς, a Septuagint word (1 Esdras 8:14) related to the common NT verb ἀκoλουθέω, “to follow,” and our grammatical term anacolouthon, literally “it does not follow” or “a mistake.”

8:3 ἀποσύραι “flay; scrape or tear the skin off” Aor inf ἀποσύρω. The close-sounding ἀποσυρίζω, however, means "hiss out" (I can't help but think of the sound of "searing," συρίζω, when I press down on a burger as it fries) or "eject with hissing" according to Lampe's patristic lexicon. This term seems more closely tied to the NT word σύρω, "drag, drag down" (Rev. 12:4). Hapax.

8:3 ἀντικνήμιον. “shin.” Hapax, cf. Hippocrites.

8:3 ἐπιτραφείς “turned,” aor pass ptc ἐπιτρέφω, prelim ptc.

8:3 πεπονθὼς “suffered, endured.” Perfect active participle πάσχω (πέπονθα). Although πάσχω once may have had a good or at least neutral sense, throughout the NT and related lit. it has a negative, suffering quality. It is not really “passion” in the positive sense sometimes employed in English.

8:3 τηλικούτου “so great, so large.” Cf. 2 Cor. 1:10.

Martyrdom of Polycarp 7:1-3

On the way
7 1 Ἔχοντες οὖν τὸ παιδάριον, τῇ παρασκευῇ περὶ δείπνου ὥραν ἐξῆλθον διωγμῖται καὶ ἱππεῖς μετὰ τῶν συνήθων αὐτοῖς ὅπλων ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν τρέχοντες. καὶ ὀψὲ τῆς ὥρας συνεπελθόντες ἐκεῖνον μὲν εὗρον ἐν κατακείμενον ὑπερῴῳ· κἀκεῖθεν δὲ ἠδύνατο εἰς ἕτερον χωρίον ἀπελθεῖν, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἠβουλήθη εἰπών· Τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ γενέσθω. 2 ἀκούσας οὖν [αὐτοῦς] παρόντας, καταβὰς διελέχθη αὐτοῖς, θαυμαζόντων τῶν παρόντων τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ εὐσταθές, [καὶ] εἰ τοσαύτη σπουδὴ ἦν τοῦ συλληφθῆναι τοιοῦτον πρεσβύτην ἄνδρα. εὐθέως οὖν αὐτοῖς ἐκέλευσε παρατεθῆναι φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρα, ὅσον ἂν βούλωνται, ἐξῃτήσατο δὲ αὐτούς, ἵνα δῶσιν αὐτῷ ὥραν πρὸς τὸ προσεύξασθαι ἀδεῶς. 3 τῶν δὲ ἐπιτρεψάντων, σταθεὶς προσηύξατο πλήρης ὢν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ οὕτως ὥστε ἐπὶ δύο ὥρας μὴ δύνασθαι σιγῆσαι καὶ ἐκπλήττεσθαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας, πολλούς τε μετανοεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ἐληλυθέναι ἐπὶ τοιοῦτον θεοπρεπῆ πρεσβύτην.
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7:3 ὥστε, Lightfoot ὡς.

7:1 ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν. Matthew 26:55.
7:1 Τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ γενέσθω. Acts 21:14.

On the Way
7 1 Taking the slave boy with them, mounted sheriffs and horsemen armed in the usual way set out on Friday about supper time, “as if he were leading a rebellion.” Closing in on him late that evening they found him lying down in a small upper room. Although even from there he could have escaped, he decided not to, saying, “God’s will be done.” 2 So when he heard that they were there, he went down and talked with them, and those who saw him wondered at his age and composure, and they were surprised at the urgency of arresting an old man like him.
     Right away he ordered as much food and drink to be set out for them as they wished; and he asked them to give him an hour to pray undisturbed. 3 They agreed, and he stood and prayed so filled with the grace of God that for two full hours he could not stop speaking, and those who heard him were amazed, and many of them regretted that they had come after such a godly old man.

7:1 παιδάριον "slave boy," a word common in the Septuagint but rare in the NT (John 6:9). The form is sometimes called a "double diminutive" (Brown, Robers & Rogers).

παρασκευῇ, dative of time from παρασκεύη “Friday.” In the NT, παρασκεύη signifies the day of preparation before a holiday, especially the Passover (Mk 15:42; John 19:14, etc.). Here and in later Greek it means simply “Friday.”

περὶ δείπνου ὥραν "at about the supper hour." δείπνου is the word for a meal or banquet, like Herod's in Mark 6:21 or the banquet in Daniel 5:1 when the handwriting appeared on the wall.

ὑπερῴῳ "upper room," a word that appears from time to time throughout the Bible: Judges 3:20 (where Ehud found Eglon), 2 Kings 1:2 (from which Ahaziah fell and was fatally injured), Daniel 6:11[10] (where Daniel prayed), Acts 9:37 (where the body of Tabitha was laid), Acts 20:8 (from which Eutychus fell) and others places.

7:2 καὶ τὸ εὐσταθές "and his composure." Cf. 2 Maccabees 12:2 (inf., "to be calm, composed"); Wisdom 6:24 ("stability, good health"); and the Greek Additions to Esther 13:5. Also 2 Macc. 14:6 "tranquility."

ὥραν πρὸς τὸ προσεύξασθαι "an hour to pray" perhaps echoing Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (Mk 14:32-37). It's been pointed out that a lot of the parallels between Christ's passion and Polycarp's martyrdom are striking, but that any one of them can be explained due to the fact that both men were being taken to be executed, and perhaps that Polycarp himself had it in mind to emulate his Savior.

1 John 3:11-20

Sermon text for May 12, 2012


In this part of his Epistle, John tells the Christian what he should expect from other people. From the world, you can expect hatred. From your brothers and sisters in Christ, you can expect love. The social test of faith is love.

11 ῞Οτι αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἠκούσατε ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους· 12 οὐ καθὼς Κάϊν ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἦν καὶ ἔσϕαξεν τὸν ἀδελϕὸν αὐτοῦ· καὶ χάριν τίνος ἔσϕαξεν αὐτόν; ὅτι τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πονηρὰ ἦν, τὰ δὲ τοῦ ἀδελϕοῦ αὐτοῦ δίκαια.

11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.  12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.

ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν "that we should love," ἵνα with with the subjunctive explaining the ἀγγελία "message."

ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ "who was from the evil one," that is, the devil.

ἔσϕαξεν aorist indicative σϕάξω "slaughter, murder."

Why does the wicked world hate the Christian? Jealousy. The wicked worldly sinner thinks, "My deeds won't look so evil if they aren't compared with anything good." This is also the message of the proverb: "Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity, and seek to kill the upright" (Proverbs 29:10).

Clement of Rome (writing at about the same time as this epistle was first sent) also used Cain as an example of sinful jealousy leading to hatred. Most of what he says is a quote from Genesis 4:2-8: "This is what is written: In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to God. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. God looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then God said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.' Now Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let’s go out to the field.' And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Brothers, look: jealousy and envy brought about a brother's murder." (1 Clement 4:1-7)

The problem with jealousy is that it amounts to ungratefulness for the gifts God has already given to us. If I am jealous of my brother because he's better looking than I am, is better at sports than I am, drives a better can than I do, is a better businessman than I am, is a better artist than I am, and is better company than I am, what have I said about any of the gifts God has given me? How would I feel if, on Christmas morning, one of my sons sat crying in the corner because the present he got isn't exactly the same as the presents all his brothers got?

What we do have is a place in heaven. That impossible gift is guaranteed to all of us through Jesus. It's not something that we can buy; as Ezekiel said, "Their silver and gold will not be able to save them in the day of the Lord's wrath" (Ezek. 7:19). In heaven, there is no social ranking, and there is no status except one: Forgiven.

     The train of John's thought so far is this:
          A. The permanent message is LOVE.
          B. Cain did not love, but fell to murder because his brother was righteous
               and he hated his brother's righteousness.


13 [καὶ] μὴ θαυμάζετε, ἀδελϕοί, εἰ μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος.
14 ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι μεταβεβήκαμεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν, ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἀδελϕούς· ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν μένει ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ.
15 πᾶς ὁ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελϕὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστίν, καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι πᾶς ἀνθρωποκτόνος οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν αὐτῷ μένουσαν.

13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.  14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.  15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. (NIV)

3:13 μισεῖ present act ind μισέω "hate, despise." The present tense indicates typical, ongoing hatred that the world will always have for the godly.

3:14 μεταβαίνω perfect active ind., "leave, move, cross over." The perfect tense tells us that this is a permanent state; we were somewhere else, but we are here and we will stay here, from death to life.

The variant regarding καὶ μὴ or just μὴ is neither clear nor terribly important. The verse makes the same sense and says virtually the same thing either way.

More than half a century ago in Jamaica, young men overcome by addiction to drugs or alcohol would stand or sit or wander the streets in a lethargic stupor, uncaring, unwilling to work or smile or laugh or care about life at all. They were nicknamed zombie by their countrymen (nzambi is a Bantu name for a snake god), and soon the word zombie had entered into mainstream English as a word for the walking dead. John the Apostle describes the unbelievers of the world as zombies, the walking dead--but unlike a horror movie, the zombies of the world can be rescued; awakened from their living death by the power of the gospel.

John once again goes back to the story of Cain, by reminding us that "anyone who hates his brother is a murderer." A sin does not have to ever leave the realm of our hearts to be a sin in God's eyes. Whether it's jealousy, hatred, lust, laziness or gluttony, a sin is a sin the moment it's conceived.

What we need to remember is that every sin is forgiven by Jesus, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are able to resist temptation, we are able to run away from the desire to sin; we are no longer slaves to our passions. We are forgiven children of God.


1 JOHN 3:16-20

In his Epistle, John has just been describing love as evidence of faith (3:14-15). Now he turns our attention to the greatest act of love.

16 ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην, ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν· καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀϕείλομεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελϕῶν τὰς ψυχὰς θεῖναι.

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

θεῖναι exegetical infinitive (τίθημι) "lay down, give up."

Christ's great act of love was self-sacrifice. He gave his life to ransom our souls from condemnation to hell. Of the several terms in Greek for "love," John chose the three-syllable word agape. In Classical Greek, the word agape was quite rare; it didn't have a specific meaning. When you shop for yogurt, you will find many flavors including vanilla, but you will also find one labeled "plain." It has no added flavor at all (strained of its whey overnight in a coffee filter, it makes a good low-fat substitute for cream). Agape-love was also "flavorless" in Greek until the writing of the New Testament. Even in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, it was mainly used in parallel poetry verses with other terms for passion or friendship (Song of Solomon 2:4; 7:6; 8:6-7, etc). But then in the New Testament, especially from the pens of John and Paul, the meaning of agape has changed from plain, undefined "love" to the totally selfless love that God has for mankind, and which God urges us to show toward each other. An unbeliever is incapable of this kind of love; he might be a philanthropist, but even that isn't a good work in God's eyes without faith.

The definition of this kind of love includes expressing such selfless love in our actions:

17 ὃς δ' ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου καὶ ϑεωρῇ τὸν ἀδελϕὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχοντα καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐν αὐτῷ;
18 Τεκνία, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληϑείᾳ.
19 [Καὶ] ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόμεθα ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμέν, καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πείσομεν τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν
20 ὅτι ἐὰν καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν ἡ καρδία, ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν καὶ γινώσκει πάντα.

17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence  20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. (NIV)

The great selfless love of God come to us (as one believer said, "God will love you more than your own mother does,"), but God also wants his love to go through us to other people. But we can easily be misled by the devil into thinking that we are somehow untrue with our love. Don't let the devil whisper in your ear when you're down, but don't let him whisper in your ear when you're not down, either. He's a liar all the time, and God is the one, the only one, who truly knows what is in our hearts.

Before God, our sinful motivations and our sins themselves melt away like frost in the sunlight. The service we perform for other people must not come from guilt or a sense of obligation, but from love for God, who loved us, who lived for us, and who died for us. Show your love for your Savior in your love for the people he died to save. They're all around you.


The overall theme of 3:11-24 is: (The ethical test of our faith): What dos it mean to be a son / child of God?

We are God's children.

A. True love is without jealousy and other sins (vs. 19-20: our hearts condemn us, so we rest in him)
B. True love is living our faith with what we do and not just what we say

Important phrase (telic note): "We set our hearts at rest in his presence" (3:19).

Martyrdom of Polycarp 6:1-2

Polycarp’s arrest
6 1 Καὶ ἐπιμενόντων τῶν ζητούντων αὐτὸν μετέβη εἰς ἕτερον ἀγρίδιον, καὶ εὐθέως ἐπέστησαν οἱ ζητοῦντες αὐτόν· καὶ μὴ εὑρόντες συνελάβοντο παιδάρια δύο, ὧν τὸ ἕτερον βασανιζόμενον ὡμολόγησεν. 2 ἦν γὰρ καὶ ἀδύνατον λαθεῖν αὐτόν, ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ προδιδόντες αὐτὸν οἱκεῖοι ὑπῆρχον, καὶ ὁ εἰρήναρχος, ὁ [καὶ] κεκληρωμένος τὸ αὐτὸ ὄνομα. Ἡρώδης ἐπιλεγόμενος, ἔσπευδεν εἰς τὸ στάδιον αὐτὸν εἰσαγαγεῖν, ἵνα ἐκεῖνος μὲν τὸν ἴδιον κλῆρον ἀπαρτίσῃ Χριστοῦ κοινωνὸς γενόμενος, οἱ δὲ προδόντες αὐτὸν τὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Ἰούδα ὑπόσχοιεν τιμωρίαν.

Polycarp’s Arrest
6 1 But his pursuers kept up the search. No sooner had he moved to another little farm that the search party arrived. Unable to find him, they arrested two young slaves, one of whom confessed while the other was being tortured. 2 Now it was impossible for him to remain hidden since his betrayers were actually members of his own household. The police captain, who had the very name (he was called Herod) was eager to bring him into the stadium. 
     This was how he was to fulfill his own destiny by becoming a partner with Christ, and his betrayers would suffer the same punishment as Judas.
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6:1 ἐπιμενόντων, present act ptc ἐπιμένω "remain, persist." The participle  shows attendant circumstance: "They kept up (the search)."

μετέβη aorist act ind μεταβαίνω, "leave, move on, cross over." The author keeps the reader at the first ἀγρίδιον (farm? villa?) while Polycarp slips over the hedgerows to the next one, and just as he disappears into the grain the police show up looking for him.

ὧν τὸ ἕτερον βασανιζόμενον ὡμολόγησεν "one of whom confessed while the other was being tortured." He confessed (ὡμολόγησεν, aor ind ὁμολoγέω) while “the other one” (τὸ ἕτερον) was tortured (βασανιζόμενον, passive participle, accompanying circumstance). ὧν here is a relative pronoun ("Who," "One of whom...") and not the participle ὦν which would perhaps have made the participle a pluperfect through periphrasis.

6:2 εἰρήναρχος “police chief; high sheriff.” The irenarch or “peacemaker” is mentioned frequently in inscriptions in the cities of Asia Minor. The Church Father Epiphanius uses this title as a term for Prince of Peace (meaning Christ), and Methodius uses a very similar term for Christ as Author of Peace as well.. Herod, a name that was infamous among Christians but probably as popular as political names generally become in the society. Herod the Great did a lot to reestablish the former glory of Israel.

Ἡρώδης Herod, a name that was infamous among Christians but probably as popular as political names generally become in the society. Herod the Great did much to reestablish the former glory of Israel but left much to be desired at to his faith (he ordered the murder of the innocents at Bethlehem, Matthew 2:16). The other Herods mentioned in the Bible only matched his evil (Mark 6:16; Acts 12:23).

τιμωρίαν "punishment, penalty." The author is talking about eternal judgment, not necessarily the same earthly fate (suicide).

Martyrdom of Polycarp 5:1-2

Polycarp’s withdrawal
5 1 Ὁ δὲ θαυμασιώτατος Πολύκαρπος τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀκούσας οὐκ ἐταράχθη, ἀλλ’ ἐβούλετο κατὰ πόλιν μένειν· οἱ δὲ πλείους ἔπειθον αὐτὸν ὑπεξελθεῖν. καὶ ὑπεξῆλθεν εἰς ἀγρίδιον οὐ μακρὰν ἀπέχον ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ διέτριβε μετ’ ὀλίγων, νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν οὐδὲν ἕτερον ποιῶν ἢ προσευχόμενος περὶ πάντων καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐκκλησιῶν, ὅπερ ἦν σύνηθες αὐτῷ. 2 καὶ προσευχόμενος ἐν ὀπτασιᾳ γέγονεν πρὸ τριῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ συλληφθῆναι αὐτόν, καὶ εἶδεν τὸ προσκεφάλαιον αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ πυρὸς κατακαιόμενον· και στραφεὶς εἶπεν πρὸς τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ· Δεῖ με ζῶντα καῆναι.
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Text:
5:1 διέτριβε ] Lake ν-movable   5:2 εἶδεν τὸ ] Lake; Lightf.; εἶδεν Migne.   5:2 καῆναι Lake, Lightf.; καυθῆναι Barocc., Paris, Jac., Vindoh.; Migne frt. κατακαυθῆναι.
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Punctuation: 
5:1 πόλεως, Lake (none), Lightf. comma, Migne colon.   5:1 ἐκκλησιῶν, Lake comma, Lightf. colon, Migne colon.   5:2 αὐτόν, Lake comma, Lightf. comma, Migne colon.   5:2 κατακαιόμενον· Lake colon, Lightf. colon, Migne period.

Polycarp’s Withdrawal
5 1 Now the glorious Polycarp was not dismayed when he first heard the news, and he wanted to stay in the city. The others tried to persuade him to withdraw, and withdraw he did, to a little farm just outside the city. He stayed there with a few friends, doing nothing night and day but praying for all men and for churches throughout the world, just as he usually did. 2 While he was praying, he had a vision three days before his arrest. He saw a pillow burning with fire. He turned and said to those with him, “I must be burned alive.”

5:1 θαυμασιώτατος, adjective "wonderful." Cf. Matthew 21:15.

ἐταράχθη, aor passive ταράσσω "disturb, upset." This form occurs many times in the LXX and NT; Cf. Matthew 2:3, "When King Herod heard this he was disturbed..."

ὑπεξελθεῖν... ὑπεξῆλθεν, both from ὑπεξέχρoμαι "withdraw, get away."

ἀγρίδιον “little farm.” Here and in 6:1; cf. the papyrus collection Sammelbuch 5230,28 (first century). An obvious but remarkably rare word. The term probably coming from the Northwest (Doric) Greek dialect. Although it can mean “village” or “field” it more probably refers here to the villa. The Roman villa was a common estate . Many were very large; a small one like this might still have fifteen hundred acres. A villa often included cultivated fields, meadows, vineyards, a woods, and housing for the many servants who worked there: farmers and hands, shepherds, vine-dressers, millers, bakers, carpenters, masons, smiths, weavers, tanners, tailors, and other workers who rented fields or grazing meadows as tenants. Such estates tended to be independently self-sufficient with limited contact even with the nearby towns.

5:2 συλληφθῆναι articularized infinitive as a noun; "arrest."

προσκεφάλαιον “pillow,” Mark 4:38; Ezekiel 13:18, 20.

κατακαιόμενον, middle participle κατακαίω "burn."

καῆναι aorist passive infinitive καίω, "burn, burn up." The textual variants are unnecessary to understand the text, whichever verb is used.

Martyrdom of Polycarp 4

Quintus
4 Εἷς δέ, ὀνόματι Κόϊντος, Φρύξ προσφάτως ἐληλυθὼς ἀπὸ τῆς Φρυγίας, ἰδὼν τὰ θηρία ἐδειλίασεν. οὗτος δὲ ἦν ὁ παραβιασάμενος ἑαυτόν τε καί τινας προσελθεῖν ἑκόντας. τοῦτον ὁ ἀνθύπατος πολλὰ ἐκλιπαρήσας ἔπεισεν ὀμόσαι καὶ ἐπιθῦσαι. διὰ τοῦτο οὖν, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἐπαινοῦμεν τοὺς προδιδόντας ἑαυτούς, ἐπειδὴ οὐχ οὕτως διδάσκει τὸ εὐαγγέλιον.
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Κόϊντος ] Κύστος Vindob., Κύπστος S. Sep.
τινας ] Mosq, Barocc. adds ἄλλους; Eusebius says σὺν ἕτερoις.
ἑκόντας ] Goodspeed ἑκουσίους.
ἑαυτούς, ] Migne has a colon rather than a comma.


Quintus
4 But one man named Quintus, a Phrygian (and newly arrived from Phrygia), became frightened when he saw the wild beasts. It was he who had urged himself and some others to come forward voluntarily. The proconsul earnestly convinced and persuaded him to swear the oath and to make the sacrifice. 
     That is why, brothers, we do not praise those who come forward of their own free will, for that is not what the gospel teaches.


4:1 Φρύξ, Phrygia was an inland province of western Asia Minor, south of Pontus. Paul and Barnabas carried the gospel there and visited the region at least twice. 


προσφάτως, "recently" (adverb; Acts 18:2)


ἐληλυθὼς, perfect active participle of ἐρχoμαι; "arrived."


ἐδειλίασεν, aorist indicative δειλιάω, "be afraid" (Psalm 118:161 / Engl. & Hebr. 119:161).


ἑκόντας (or ἑκουσίους, the reading in Goodspeed's Index Patristicus) "Voluntarily." Probably this Quintus wanted to gain renown for himself and was willing to die for his faith, but was terrified of the thought of being torn apart by lions. 


ὀμόσαι, aor inf ὀμνύω / ὄμνυμι. The aorist of this verb is ὤμoσα. "To swear, swear an oath." Usually followed by the dative rather than an expected accusative (swear "by"). The oath was of course to Caesar.


οὐχ οὕτως διδάσκει τὸ εὐαγγέλιον "for that is not what the gospel teaches," διδάσκει present active indicative; subject: τὸ εὐαγγέλιον. Cf. John 7:1; 8:59; 10:39; Acts 13:31; 17:14; 19:30-31; etc. The article is correct for a neuter nominative singular (it's identical in the accusative case). The paradigm for this noun is δῶρον in Crosby-Schaeffer p. 10.

Martyrdom of Polycarp 3:1-2

Germanicus
3 1 Ἀλλὰ χάρις τῷ θεῷ· κατὰ πάντων γὰρ οὐκ ἴσχυσεν. ὁ γὰρ γενναιότατος Γερμανικὸς ἐερρώννυεν αὐτῶν τὴ δειλίαν διὰ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ ὑπομονῇς· ὃς καὶ ἐπισήμως ἐθηριομάχησεν. βουλομένου γὰρ τοῦ ἀνθυπάτου πείθειν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγοντος, τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ κατοικτεῖραι, ἑαυτῷ ἐπεσπάσατο τὸ θηρίον προσβιασάμενος, τάχιoν τoῦ ἀδίκoυ καὶ ἀνόμoυ βίoυ αὐτῶν ἀπαλλαγῆναι βουλόμενος. 2 ἐκ τούτου οὖν πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος, θαυμάσαν τὴν γενναιότητα τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς καὶ θεοσεβοῦς γένους τῶν Χριστιανῶν, ἐπεβόησεν· Αἶρε τοὺς ἀθέους· ζητείσθω Πολύκαρπος.
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3:2 This verse division does not occur in every edition of the text.

Germanicus
3 1 But thanks be to God, for he did not prevail against any of them. For the most noble Germanicus encouraged their timidity through the endurance he showed. He fought valiantly against the wild beasts. When the proconsul tried to persuade him to take pity on his youth, he willingly and forcibly pulled the wild creature toward himself, wanting to be rid of their unjust and lawless way of life as quickly as possible. 2 After this the whole crowd, amazed at the bravery of this pious and beloved Christian race, began shouting “Away with the atheists! Let a search be made for Polycarp!”

3:1 "he did not prevail," that is, the devil (cf. 2:4). The Latin omits the negative (as does Lightfoot in his Greek text, making οὐκ into oὖν), in which case the sense would be that “he (God) indeed prevailed against them all,” but the negative appears to fit the context better since the antecedent of “them” should be the subject of the previous clause, those “condemned to wild beasts,” not the wild beasts themselves.

3:1 ἐπισήμως “valiantly” adverb. The adjectival form occurs in Matthew 27:16; Romans 16:7; Genesis 30:42; Esther 5:4; and in the apocrypha (1 Macc 11:37; 14:48; 2 Macc 15:36; 3 Macc 6:1).

3:1 τοῦ ἀνθυπάτου "the proconsul." A proconsul was a Roman official with authority over a province. Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:7) and Gallio (Acts 18:12) were such officials.

3:1 τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ κατοικτεῖραι, "pity on his youth," evidently thinking it was a shame for a young man to throw away his life in such a way. κατοικτείρω, "have mercy or compassion on," is a Septuagint word not found in the New Testament. 4 Macc. 8:20; 12:2.

3:2 τοὺς ἀθέους "the atheists." The charge of atheism was constantly brought against Christians during the persecutions because they refused to pay homage to Caesar as a god. The term atheist here means anyone who did not believe that Caesar was a god. Today the term is employed specifically to someone who imagines that there is no god at all, and more generally as a synonym for agnostic, someone who doubts there is a god or believes that the existence of God cannot be proved.

Martyrdom of Polycarp 2:1-4

The noble army of martyrs
2 1 Μακάρια μὲν οὖν καὶ γενναῖα τὰ μαρτύρια πάντα [τὰ] κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ γεγονότα. δεῖ γὰρ εὐλαβεστέρους ἡμᾶς ὑπάρχοντας τῷ θεῷ τὴν κατὰ πάντων ἐξουσίαν ἀνατιθέναι. 2 τὸ γὰρ γενναῖον αὐτῶν καὶ ὑπομονητικὸν καὶ φιλοδέσποτον τίς οὐκ ἂν θαυμάσειεν; οἱ ¹ μάστιξι μὲν καταξανθέντες, ὥστε μέχρι τῶν ἔσω φλεβῶν καὶ ἀρτηριῶν τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς οἰκονομίαν θεωρεῖσθαι, ὑπέμειναν, ὡς καὶ τοὺς περιεστῶτας ἐλεεῖν καὶ ὀδύρεσθαι·  τoὺς δὲ καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτον γενναιότητος ἐλθεῖν, ὥστε μήτε γρύξαι μήτε στενάξαι τινὰ αὐτῶν, ἐπιδεικνυμένους ἅπασιν ἡμῖν, ὅτι [ἐν] ² ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ βασανιζόμενοι, τῆς σαρκὸς ἀπεδήμουν οἱ γενναιότατοι ³ μάρτυρες τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μᾶλλον δέ, ὅτι παρεστὼς ὁ κύριος ὡμίλει αὐτοῖς. 3 καὶ προσέχοντες τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριτι τῶν κοσμικῶν κατεφρόνουν βασάνων, διὰ μιᾶς ὥρας τὴν αἰώνιον  κόλασιν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι. καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἦ ¹ αὐτοῖς ψυχρὸν τὸ τῶν ἀπηνῶν βασανιστῶν. πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν γὰρ εἶχον φυγεῖν τὸ αἰώνιον καὶ μηδέποτε σβεννύμενον, καὶ τοῖς τῆς καρδίας ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀνέβλεπον τὰ τηρούμενα  τoῖς ὑπoμείνασιν ἀγαθα, ἃ oὔτε oὗς ἢκoυσεν, οὔτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδεν οὔτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη, ἐκείνοις δὲ ὑπεδείκνυτο ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου, οἵπερ μηκέτι ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλ’ ἤδη ἄγγελοι ἦσαν. 4 ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ [οἱ] ¹ εἰς τὰ θηρία κατακριθέντες ² ὑπέμειναν δεινὰς κολάσεις, κήρυκας μεν ὑποστρωννύμενοι καὶ ἄλλαις ποικίλων βασάνων ἰδέαις ³ κολαφιζόμενοι, ἵνα, εἰ δυνηθείη, ὁ τύραννος διὰ τῆς ἐπιμόνου κολάσεως εἰς ἄρνησιν αὐτοὺς τρέψῃ. πολλὰ γὰρ ἐμηχανᾶτο κατ’ αὐτῶν ὁ διάβολος.4

2:2 ¹ oἱ [ Migne oἵ.
2:2 ² Migne adds ἐν.
2:2 ³ Migne omits
2:3 ¹ ἦ [ Mign. ἦν.
2:4 ¹ oἱ [ Migne omits
2:4 ² κατακριθέντες [ Migne κριθέντες
2:4 ³ ποικίλων βασάνων ἰδέαις [ Migne ποικίλαις βασάνoις  (om. ἰδέαις)
2:4 4 Migne assigns the last sentence to chapter 3.

The noble army of martyrs
2 1 Blessed and noble then are all the martyrdoms that have taken place by the will of God, for we must be reverent enough to credit God with power over all things. 2 For who could fail to admire their nobility, patient endurance and love to the Master? They patiently endured being shredded with whips until the structure of their flesh was made visible down to the inner veins and arteries so that even the bystanders pitied them and wept; but they themselves displayed such bravery that none of them cried out or groaned, showing us all that at that hour the most noble martyrs of Christ were absent from the flesh, or rather, that the Lord was standing by and conversing with them. 3 And with their minds fixed on the grace of Christ they despised the tortures of this world, purchasing eternal life at the cost of a single hour. For them the fire of their inhuman torturers was cold,¹ for they had before their eyes the escape from the eternal unquenchable fire and with the eyes of their heart they gazed upon the good things that are reserved for those who have endured “which no ear has heard, no eye has seen, no mind has conceived”² but which were shown by the Lord to them, for they were no longer men. They were already angels. 4 Likewise, those condemned to the wild beasts endured dreadful tortures, being made to lie on sharp shells and many other kinds of torture, so that the devil might lead them to a denial, if possible, through prolonged torture.
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¹ 2:3 "the fire... was cold" 4 Macc 11:26    
² 2:3 1 Corinthians 2:9; cf. Isa. 64:4; 65:17.

2:2 "visible down to the inner veins and arteries." This was the Roman form of scourging. The Jews never permitted more than 39 lashes (in accordance with Deut. 25:3). Part of the goal of Roman whipping was to degrade and shame the individual and even his nation or in this case, his religion.

2:2 "the most nobles martyrs of Christ" cp. Rev 6:9-11.

2:2 "the Lord was standing by and conversing with them." cf. Daniel 3:25; Song of the Three Young Men (Prayer of Azariah) 1:26, 66.

2:3 "For them the first of their inhuman tortures was cold." The possible quotation (see footnote) runs parallel in context to the context of the 4 Maccabees passage. “Since you have not been able to persuade us to change your mind or to force us to eat unclean food, isn’t this your downfall? To us, your fire is cold, your catapults painless, and your violence powerless. For it is not the guards of the tyrant, but of the Divine Law that are over us.” (4 Macc. 11:25-27a)

2:3 "the eternal unquenchable fire" cf. Isaiah 66:24; Matthew 3:12.

2:3 "the eyes of their heart: Ephesians 1:18 (τοὺς ὀϕϑαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν).

2:4 "sharp shells" Greek “trumpet shells,” large sharp seashells commonly used in torture (also mentioned by Aristotle). This was another method of shaming the condemned by the Romans.

Greek notes:

2:1 εὐλαβεστέρους “more devout, pious; reverent enough” comp of εὐλαβης.

2:2 μάστιξι “lashes, whippings.” masc pl μάστιξ, “whip.” Some editions write the word with ν-moveable.

2:2 φλεβῶν “veins.” Gen pl., φλεψ, a ‘vein’ both in the sense of a channel for blood and also a ‘vein’ of metal in a mine (Iliad). In Scripture, Hosea 13:15 καὶ  ἀναξηρανεῖ  τὰς  φλέβας  αὐτοῦ. Cp. our modern procedure, a phelbotomy.

2:2 γρύξαι “complained, muttered.” Aor inf γρύξω; Ex. 11:7; Josh 10:21; Judith 11:19  καὶ oὐ γρύξαι κύνων τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτoῦ ἁπέναντι σoυ, “not a dog will so much as open its mouth to growl at you.”

2:4 κήρυκας “trumpet-shell” fem gen κήρυξ, a large sharp shell used in torture.

2:4 ὑποστρωννύμενοι  “laid out” pass ptc ὑποστρωννύω.

Martyrdom of Polycarp 1:1-2

Let's take a look at the Greek text of one of the earliest accounts of a Christian Martyr. This text is referred to and quoted heavily by Eusebius, who seems to have had a much shorter text.  The miracles in particular (the gush of blood extinguishing the flame, and the dove flying out) are thought to be later additions. The introduction by Roberts and Donaldson (T&T Clark, 1867,1886) points out, however, that “as for the ‘fragrant smell’ that came from the fire, many kinds of wood emit the like in burning; and apart from Oriental warmth of coloring, there seems nothing more incredible in the narrative if we except ‘the dove.’”

The event took place in 155 or 156 AD. There are two parts:
.     1. The letter describing Polycarp’s arrest and execution
.     2. Several paragraphs (chapters 21-22) with notes about the history of the document’s copying.

Since other documents allude to or quote this account at a very early date,  we must accept it’s date as being quite early – probably shortly after the events described.

The text is represented by several witnesses:

.     1. Codex Mosquensis 159m (formerly 160) Greek, 13th century.
.     2. Codex Barroccianus 238b of the Bodelian Library, Greek, 11th century (this was the text used by Bishop Ussher).
.     3. Paris. Bibl. Nat. Greac. 1452p (also called Mediceus). Greek, 10th century.
.     4. Vindob. Hist. Greac. Eccl. III[v]. Greek, 11th or early 12th century.
.     5. S. Sep. Hirosol. I fol. 136s, Greek, 10th century.
.     6. Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. IV,15 (†339 BC, the earliest witness by far).
.     7. Latin Version (L) is in three forms:
.        L (a) Gaul (translation of Rufinus)
.        L (b) a Latin paraphrase
 .       L (c) a well-known edition that combined (a) and (b).
.     8. The Syriac and Coptic are translations of Eusebius and not of the document before us.

Mαρτύριoν  Πoλυκάρπoυ

Greeting
ἡ ἐκκλησία τoῦ θεoῦ ἡ παρoικoῦσα Σμῦρναν, τῇ ἐκκλησία τoῦ θεoῦ τῇ παρoικoῦσῃ ἐν Φιλoμηλίῳ καὶ πάσαις ταῖς κατὰ πάντα τόπoν τῆς ἁγίας καὶ καθoλικῆς  ἐκκλησίας παρoικίας, ἔλεoς καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ ἀγάπη θεoῦ πατρὸς καὶ [τoῦ] κυρίoυ ἡμῶν Ἰησoῦ Χριστoῦ πληθυνεῖη.

Martyrdom in lock step with the gospel
1 1 ἐγράψαμεν ὑμῖν, ἀδελφoί,  τὰ κατὰ τoὺς μαρτυρήσαντoς καὶ τὸν μακάριoν Πoλύκαρπoν, ὅστις ὥσπερ ἐπισφραγίσας διὰ τῆς μαρτυρίας αὐτoῦ  κατέπαυσε  τὸν  διωγμὸν. σχεδὸν γὰρ πάντα τὰ πρoάγoντα ἐγένετo,  ἵνα ἡμῖν ὁ κύριoς ἄνωθεν  ἐπιδεῖξη τὸ κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιoν μαρτύριoν. 2 περιέμενεν γὰρ  ἵνα παραδoθῇ, ὡς  καὶ ὁ κύριoς  ἵνα μιμηταὶ καὶ αὐτoῦ γενώμεθα, μὴ μόνoν σκoπoῦντες τὸ καθ’ ἑαυτoὺς ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ κατὰ τoὺς πέλας. ἀγάπης γὰρ ἀληθoὺς καὶ βέβαιὰς ἐστιν μὴ μόνoν ἑαυτὸν θέλειν σῴζεσθαι ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τoὺς ἀδελφoὺς.

THE MARTYRDOM OF POLYCARP

Inscription by the Church of Smyrna
The church of God that sojourns at Smyrna to the church of God sojourning at Philomelium, and to all the congregations of the holy Christian church sojourning in every place: 
     Mercy, peace and love of God that Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied to you.

Martyrdom in lock step with the gospel
1 1 We are writing to you, brothers, an account of those who were martyred, especially the blessed Polycarp, who brought about the end of the persecution, putting, as it were, a seal upon it with his martyrdom. For almost all that preceded it happened that our Lord might again show us a martyrdom in lock step with the gospel.  2 For he waited to be delivered, just as the Lord did, that we too might become his imitators, “not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others.” For it is the mark of true and steadfast love not only to want to save oneself, but all the brothers, too.
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1:2 “not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4

Inscr. Φιλoμηλίῳ, Philomelium, a city in central Asia Minor not far from Pisidian Antioch (Strabo, 12,8,14).

Inscr. congregations Roberts and Donaldson point out that this word in Greek ( παρoικίας ) is the source of our word parishes.

Inscr. Christian Greek catholic, or universal derived from Greek καθ’ ὅλη γῆ “according to the whole world” or “universal.” I have adopted Luther’s substitution throughout.

1:1 ἐπισφραγίσας aorist ἐπισφραγίζω, Neh. 10:1 (2 Esdr 20:1); Bel and the Dragon 1:11. "seal," "bring to a close."

1:1  σχεδὸν   “nearly, almost.” An infrequent NT word that occurs also in Barnabas 16:2.

1:1 τὸ κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιoν  in lock step with the Gospel. Kατὰ with the accusative "of the norm" in a case like this describes something being done like soldiers marching in lock step with one another. Polycarp's submission to torture and execution were in step with the gospel and his proclamation of it. In the end, it was the step he had to take to not deny Christ as God, as we shall see in his trial.


1:2 τoὺς πέλας  conj. Usshur;  τoυ πελας Mosq, Barocc.; τoυς παιδας Vindob., S. Sep.;  τoυς πλαιoνας Paris.

1:2  περιέμενεν ... ἵνα  “he waited…to.”  περιμένω   followed by   ἵνα  occurs nowhere else in our literature (except a variant in ms. D of Acts 10:24 and an occurrence in Josephus Ant. 6,100). BAG conjectures that this should be translated “wait to.”