Ambiguous phrasing: of your father the devil
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do your father’s desires.”
The wording is ambiguous: either it means the devil has a father from whom these are, or — better — that you are of this father, of whom “devil” is predicated.
Greek
Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστὲ καὶ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν.
Ἀμφίβολος ἡ λέξις· ἢ γὰρ δηλοῖ ὡς ὁ διάβολος πατέρα ἔχει, ἐξ οὗ οὗτοι εἶσιν, ἢ — ὅπερ βέλτιον — ὅτι ἐκ τοῦδε τοῦ πατρός ἐστε, καθ᾽ οὗ κατηγορεῖται τὸ διάβολος.
About this text
Origen’s Commentary on John, Book 20 (later tomoi). Complete on this page: §§1–44.
English follows Preuschen, Origenes Werke IV (GCS 10, 1903). Heine FOTC was not used as wording. This page is Book 20 §§1–44 of the later books (13, 19, 20, 28, 32).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Preuschen, Origenes Werke IV = GCS 10 (1903) (Greek · Book 20 §§1–44)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.