ORIGEN'S DEFINITION OF EYXAPITIA IN DE ORATIONE 14,2

BY

J. C. M. VAN WINDEN

In 1 Tim. 2,1 saint Paul sums up four kinds of prayer: l1crt, Euxfi, Evisu?t5, E6xapicIia. Discussing this Pauline text Origen gives a definition of each of these terms. That of suxapwiia is difficult to under- stand and has led the interpretors in several directions, as it appears from their translations. The text runs as follows: Elxapicliav 8e (rjyouuat 8?v(u) Ifiv 1tt To T8Teu?EV(u yaaffiv 6x6 9EOU psi' suxwv ava0go- Yl1crlV, 6vIEiXqyyvou roC 6v8oyoXoyouyvou Io0 pEyE9ous lj To 8U8py8Tr)9evTi yEy80ug (patvonevou sis abr6v Y&Y&Vl1IlVl1 &6&p7&aiag. The difficulty lies, of course, in the participle construction 6vIEiXq yyvou ... euepy8

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stdtigung des Empfdngers, dass er Gfter von Gott erhalten hat, indem der Empfdnger die Grdsse der ihm gewordenen Wohltat e? fasst, oder diese dem Beschenkten als gross erscheint." This translation is based on the same analysis of the text as that of O'Meara.

Jay (Origen's Treatise on Prayer, London 1954) explains the construc- tion as follows: "Av8oyoXoyouyvou is here passive in meaning; cob 6v8oyoXoyouyvou iou psyE9ouS is the subject of vt&tl1??vou, with which is understood 'by God'. The genitive tf ... suspyE6iaS depends on the first rob yEy80ug, the clause 11 10 ...