The Physical Corruption of Judas
It appears that, through him, discharges and worms emerge from the whole body in excess. After many tortures and punishments, they say he died in a private place, and because of the stench, this place became a desert and uninhabited until now; but even until today, no one is able to pass through that place unless he stops his nose with his hands.
Judas did not die by strangulation, but lived on after being cast down before being suffocated. And this the acts of the apostles demonstrate, that 'becoming precipitate, he struck the ground, and all his bowels were poured out' (Mt 27:5). This is more clearly recounted by Papias, the disciple of John, saying thus in the fourth explanation of the Lord's words: Judas walked in this world as a great example of impiety. Having become so corrupted in the flesh that he could pass through even where no one passes easily, yet not even the volume of his head could pass; for they say the eyelids of his eyes were so diminished that he could not see the light at all, and his eyes could not even be seen by a physician's instruments; such was the depth from the external appearance. His filthiness, indeed, appeared more loathsome and greater than all ugliness, and through it the discharges and worms dragging from the whole body are carried forth to an excess of only the necessary things. After many tortures and punishments, they say he died in a private place, and because of the stench, this place became a desert and uninhabited until now; but even until today, no one is able to pass through that place unless he stops his nose with his hands. Such was his concealment through the flesh, and into the earth.
A good hiding place for those who slander; for those listening were not seeking the truth, and the response was according to the common custom, which also Luke showed in the history, saying to those asking, 'If you are the Christ, tell us; if I tell you, you will not believe; but if I ask, you will not answer' (Lk 23:8). The scourges were instead of the sins of the world, for many are the scourges of the sinner, and according to the prophecy saying, 'I gave my back to scourges' (Isa 50:6). And the righteous has been fulfilled on behalf of the sinners, and the extreme of goodness has been fulfilled, when the 'righteous suffered for the unrighteous' (Isa 53:5), so that 'by his wound we might be healed,' as Isaiah says.
Not because they were strong, but because it seemed to God that these things should happen for the redemption of men, through the dishonoring of the 'Lord of glory' on our behalf, because of the dishonor falling upon us, and the day of the righteous glorifying that which is always being mocked by the uninstructed. Since the cloth was stained with the color of blood,
Greek
φαίνεσθαι, φέ ρεσθαι δὲ δι' αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἐξ ἅπαντος τοῦ σώματος συρρέοντας ἰχῶρας καὶ σκώληκας εἰς ὕβριν δι' αὐτῶν μό νων τῶν ἀναγκαίων. μετὰ δὲ πολλὰς βασάνους καὶ τιμωρίας ἐν ἰδίῳ φασὶ χωρίῳ τελευτήσαντος ἀπὸ τῆς ὀ σμῆς ἔρημόν τε καὶ ἄοικον τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον μέχρι τῆς νῦν γενέσθαι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μέχρι σήμερον δύνασθαί τινα ἐκεῖνον τὸν τόπον παρελθεῖν, ἐὰν μὴ τὰς ῥῖνας ταῖς χερσὶν ἐπιφράξῃ. Οὐκ ἐναπέθανε τῇ ἀγχόνῃ ὁ Ἰούδας, ἀλλ' ἐπεβίω καθαιρεθεὶς πρὸ τοῦ ἀποπνιγῆναι. καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῦσιν αἱ τῶν ἀποστόλων πράξεις, ὅτι «πρηνὴς γενόμενος ἐλάκησε μέ σος, καὶ ἐξεχύθη πάντα τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ». τοῦτο δὲ σαφέστερον ἱστορεῖ Παπίας ὁ Ἰωάννου μαθητὴς λέγων οὕτως ἐν τῷ τετάρτῳ τῆς ἐξηγήσεως τῶν κυριακῶν λόγων· μέγα δὲ ἀσε βείας ὑπόδειγμα ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κό σμῳ περιεπάτησεν Ἰούδας. πρησθεὶς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον τὴν σάρ κα, ὥστε μηδὲ ὁπόθεν ἅμαξα ῥᾳ δίως διέρχεται, ἐκεῖνον δύνασθαι διελθεῖν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ αὐτὸν μόνον τὸν ὄγκον τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ· τὰ μὲν γὰρ βλέφαρα τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ φασι τοσοῦτον ἐξοιδῆσαι, ὡς αὐτὸν μὲν καθόλου τὸ φῶς μὴ βλέ πειν, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς δὲ αὐτοῦ μηδὲ ὑπὸ ἰατροῦ διόπτρας ὀφθῆναι δύνασθαι· τοσοῦτον βάθος εἶχον ἀπὸ τῆς ἔξωθεν ἐπιφανείας. τὸ δὲ αἰδοῖον αὐτοῦ πάσης μὲν ἀσχημο σύνης ἀηδέστερον καὶ μεῖζον φαί νεσθαι, φέρεσθαι δὲ δι' αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἐξ ἅπαντος τοῦ σώματος συρρέον τας ἰχῶράς τε καὶ σκώληκας εἰς ὕβριν δι' αὐτῶν μόνων τῶν ἀναγ καίων. μετὰ πολλὰς δὲ βασάνους καὶ τιμωρίας ἐν ἰδίῳ φασὶν χωρίῳ τελευτήσαντος καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῆς δυσωδίας ἔρημον καὶ ἀοίκητον τὸ χωρίον μέχρι τῆς νῦν γενέσθαι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μέχρι τῆς σήμερον δύ νασθαί τινα ἐκεῖνον τὸν τόπον παρ ελθεῖν, ἐὰν μὴ τὰς ῥῖνας ταῖς χερσὶν ἐπιφράξῃ. τοσαύτη διὰ τῆς 18 σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ἔκρυσις ἐχώρη σεν. 137 Mt 27, 11®14 Καλὴ ἡ ἀποσκόπησις πρὸς τοὺς συκοφαντοῦντας· οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκούον τες ἐζήτουν τὸ ἀληθὲς καὶ κατὰ κοινοῦ ἡ ἀπόκρισις, ὃ καὶ ἔδειξε κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν τοῦ Λουκᾶ εἰπὼν πρὸς τοὺς ἐρωτῶντας «εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, εἰπὸν ἡμῖν· ἐὰν ὑμῖν εἴπω, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε· ἐὰν δὲ ἐρωτήσω, οὐ μὴ ἀποκριθῆτε ». 138 Mt 27, 26 Αἱ μάστιγες ἀντὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τοῦ κόσμου, ὅτι πολλαὶ αἱ μάστιγες τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ καὶ κατὰ τὴν προφητείαν τὴν λέγουσαν «τὸν νῶτόν μου δέδωκα εἰς μάστιγας ». καὶ πεπλήρωται μὲν τὸ δίκαιον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτω λῶν, πεπλήρωται δὲ τὸ τῆς ἀγαθότητος ἄκρον, ὁπότε «δίκαιος ὑπὲρ ἀδίκων » πέπονθε, ἵνα «τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἰαθῶμεν », ὡς Ἠσαΐας φησίν. 139 Mt 27, 28®29 Οὐχ ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι ἴσχυον, ἀλλ' ὅτι θεῷ ἐδόκει ταῦτα γίνεσθαι πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐκλύτρωσιν ἀτιμασθέντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τοῦ «κυρίου τῆς δόξης » διὰ τὴν ἡμῖν ἐπιβάλλουσαν ἀτιμίαν καὶ δοξάζοντος τὴν ἡμέραν τῶν δικαίων τὴν ἀεὶ διαπαιζομένην ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπαιδεύτων. ἐπειδὴ χρώ ματι αἵματος ἡ χλαμὺς ἐκέχρωστο,
About this text
Apollinaris of Laodicea on Matthew (catena fragments).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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.