Captivity of the contemplative soul; Christ frees captives
If we see the soul becoming subject to the devil or also to his angels, and simply to the hostile powers—the soul that by nature is contemplative and able to see the things that are and to attend—we will somehow understand the captivity and the one who took captive. But fleeing for refuge to Christ, who according to the prophet Isaiah proclaimed “release to captives,” (Isaiah 42:7) we will be freed from the captivity, even if the one who took captive reaches as far as binding. For Jesus came “to lead out those bound from bonds and those sitting in darkness from a house of prison.” (Isaiah 61:1) (Luke 4:18)
Greek
Klagel. Jerem. 1 Uberschr. Ἐὰν ἴδωμεν Ὑποχείριον γινομένην τὴν ψυχὴν τῷ διαβόλῳ ἢ καὶτοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς ταὶς ἐκθραῖς δυνάμεσι τὴν τῇ φύσει θεωρητικὴν καὶ συνορὰν τὰ ἄντα καὶ ἐπιστῆσαι δυναμένην, νοήσομέν πως τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν καὶ τὸν αἰχμαλωτίσαντα. ἀλλὰ καταφυγόντες ἐπὶ τὸν Χριστόν, τὸν κηρύξαντα κατὰ τὸν προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν «αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν«, ἐλευθερωρησόμεθα ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, κἂν μέχρι τοῦ δῆσαι φθάσῃ ὁ αἰχμαλωτεύσας. ἦλθε γὰρ Ἰησοῦς «ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐκ δεσμῶν δεδεμένους καὶ ἐξ οἴκου φυλακῆς καθημένους ἐν σκότει.
About this text
Origen, Fragments on Lamentations.
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.