Old Testament Homilies (review)

The appearance of a new translation of Robert Charles Hill is always an occasion for great pleasure. His translations now appear at a nearly annual rate, and he seems to have set for himself the goal of translating all the works of the great IV–V century Antiochian theologians. Prior to the volumes under review here—if my count is correct—Hill has produced nearly a dozen volumes of translations. Recent works in print include his translations of Diodore of Tarsus' Commentary on the Psalms, and Theodore of Mopsuestia's, Commentary on the Psalms.

The three volumes translated here include a number of important homilies which have never before been translated into English. This fact alone makes the volumes particularly welcome. Since no other edition exists, Hill has used the text of Mountfacon as reprinted in Migne's Patrologia Graeca for his renderings. The format of each of the three volumes is the same. 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 (17, 18, 18 pages, respectively), and brief indices of subjects and of biblical citations (6–7 pages).

The first volume comprises the three "Homilies on David and Saul" (CPG 4412; PG 54. 675–708), and the five "Homilies on Hannah" (CPG 4411; PG 54. 631–76). Both of these collections of homilies were delivered shortly after Chrysostom's famous "Homilies on the Statues," which followed the riots of 387 in Antioch when citizens overturned the statues of the emperor Theodosius and his family. The "Homilies on David and Saul" seem to have been delivered very shortly—possibly, immediately—after these events since Chrysostom refers in Homily 1 (10) to his exposition "the other day" of the parable of the hundred denarii and the ten thousand talents, the subject of the last of the "Homilies on the Statues." These homilies, based loosely on the events found in I Sam 18.24 and 26, seem to be thinly veiled pleas to the emperor for clemency toward the city; Chrysostom deliberately highlights the clemency of David who went to such great lengths not only not to harm King Saul himself but not to allow anyone else to harm him either. Hill notes, too, that these homilies are among the few examples where Chrysostom's intended audience is not actually his own congregation.

The series of "Homilies on Hannah" began, apparently, just before the feast of the Ascension in 387 since the author refers not only to the same events surrounding the turmoil over the statues but specifically to the recent return of bishop Flavian from Constantinople, where he had pleaded to the Emperor for clemency. These homilies are only very loosely connected with Hannah; in fact, the very choice of her as subject is not completely clear. Chrysostom seems to utilize her simply to highlight various moral themes as those of proper conduct, married life, rearing of children, drunkenness, and the dangers of the spectacles as well as prayer, fasting and the proper way to celebrate a feast day.

The second volume comprises the "Homily on Jeremiah 10. 23" (CPG 4419; PG 56.153–62), the "Homily on Isaiah 45. 6–7" (CPG 4418; PG 56.141–52), and the six "Homilies on Isaiah 6" (CPG 4417; PG 56.97–142). 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...