Editing Origen (section)

===Extant commentaries===
[[File:Origenes Opera.JPG|thumb|upright=1.5|Books containing Latin translations of some of Origen's extant writings]]

Origen's commentaries written on specific books of scripture are much more focused on systematic exegesis than his homilies.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=29}} In these writings, Origen applies the precise critical methodology that had been developed by the scholars of the [[Musaeum|Mouseion]] in Alexandria to the Christian scriptures.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=29}} The commentaries also display Origen's impressive encyclopedic knowledge of various subjects{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=29}} and his ability to cross-reference specific words, listing every place in which a word appears in the scriptures along with all the word's known meanings,{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=29}} a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that he did this in a time when [[Bible concordance]]s had not yet been compiled.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=29}} Origen's massive ''Commentary on the Gospel of John'', which spanned more than thirty-two volumes once it was completed,{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|pp=29–30}} was written with the specific intention not only to expound the correct interpretation of the scriptures, but also to refute the interpretations of the Valentinian Gnostic teacher [[Heracleon]],{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=29}}<ref>Joel C. Elowsky (editor), ''John 1–10. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament, Voliume 4a.'', page xix, (InterVarsity Press Academic, 2007). {{ISBN|978-0-8308-1489-3}}</ref> who had used the Gospel of John to support his argument that there were really two gods, not one.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=29}} Of the original thirty-two books in the ''Commentary on John'', only nine have been preserved: Books I, II, VI, X, XIII, XX, XXVIII, XXXII, and a fragment of XIX.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=30}}

Of the original twenty-five books in Origen's ''Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew'', only eight have survived in the original Greek (Books 10–17), covering Matthew 13.36–22.33.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=30}} An anonymous Latin translation beginning at the point corresponding to Book 12, Chapter 9 of the Greek text and covering Matthew 16.13–27.66 has also survived.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=30}}{{sfn|Heine|2004|p=124}} The translation contains parts that are not found in the original Greek and is missing parts that are found in it.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=30}} Origen's ''Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew'' was universally regarded as a classic, even after his condemnation,{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=30}} and it ultimately became the work which established the Gospel of Matthew as the primary gospel.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=30}} Origen's ''Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans'' was originally fifteen books long, but only tiny fragments of it have survived in the original Greek.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=30}} An abbreviated Latin translation in ten books was produced by the monk [[Tyrannius Rufinus]] at the end of the fourth century.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}}{{efn|When Rufinus translated the commentary in the early fifth century he noted in his preface that some of the books were lost, and doubted his ability to 'supply' what was missing and to 'restore' the work's continuity. He also noted his intention to 'abbreviate' the work. Rufinus's abbreviated Latin version in ten books is extant. The Greek fragments were found in papyri at Tura in 1941, and contain Greek excerpts from books 5–6 of the commentary. Comparison of these fragments with Rufinus's translation led to a generally positive evaluation of Rufinus's work. {{harvnb|Heine|2004|p=124}}}} The historian [[Socrates of Constantinople|Socrates Scholasticus]] records that Origen had included an extensive discussion of the application of the title {{translit|grc|[[theotokos]]}} to the Virgin Mary in his commentary,{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}} but this discussion is not found in Rufinus's translation,{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}} probably because Rufinus did not approve of Origen's position on the matter, whatever that might have been.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}}

Origen also composed a ''Commentary on the Song of Songs'',{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}} in which he took explicit care to explain why the Song of Songs was relevant to a Christian audience.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}} The ''Commentary on the Song of Songs'' was Origen's most celebrated commentary{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}} and Jerome famously writes in his preface to his translation of two of Origen's homilies over the Song of Songs that: "In his other works, Origen habitually excels others. In this commentary, he excelled himself."{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}} Origen expanded on the exegesis of the Jewish [[Rabbi Akiva]],{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}} interpreting the Song of Songs as a mystical allegory in which the bridegroom represents the Logos and the bride represents the soul of the believer.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}} This was the first Christian commentary to expound such an interpretation{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}} and it became extremely influential on later interpretations of the Song of Songs.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}} Despite this, the commentary now only survives in part through a Latin translation of it made by Tyrannius Rufinus in 410.{{sfn|McGuckin|2004|p=31}}{{efn|Books 1–3, and the beginning of the Book 4, survive, covering Song of Songs 1.1–2.15. Besides not including the later books of the commentary, Rufinus also omitted all of Origen's more technical discussions of the text. {{harvnb|Heine|2004|p=123}}}} Fragments of some other commentaries survive. Citations in Origen's {{translit|grc|[[Philokalia (Origen)|Philokalia]]}} include fragments of the third book of the commentary on Genesis. There is also Ps. i, iv.1, the small commentary on Canticles, and the second book of the large commentary on the same, the twentieth book of the commentary on Ezekiel,{{efn|Codex Vaticanus 1215 gives the division of the twenty-five books of the commentary on Ezekiel, and part of the arrangement of the commentary on Isaiah (beginnings of books VI, VIII, XVI; book X extends from Isa. viii.1 to ix.7; XI from ix.8, to x.11; XII, from x.12 to x.23; XIII from x.24 to xi.9; XIV from xi.10 to xii.6; XV from xiii.1 to xiii.16; XXI from xix.1 to xix.17; XXII from xix.18 to xx.6; XXIII from xxi.1 to xxi.17; XXIV from xxii.1 to xxii.25; XXV from xxiii.1 to xxiii.18; XXVI from xxiv.1 to xxv.12; XXVII from xxvi.1 to xxvi.15; XXVIII from xxvi.16 to xxvii.11a; XXIX from xxvii.11b to xxviii.29; and XXX treats of xxix.1 sqq.).}} and the commentary on Hosea. Of the non-extant commentaries, there is limited evidence of their arrangement.{{efn|Codex Athous Laura 184 gives the division of the fifteen books of the commentary on Romans (except XI and XII) and of the five books on Galatians, as well as the extent of the commentaries on Philippians and Corinthians (Romans I from 1:1 to 1:7; II from 1:8 to 1:25; III from 1:26 to 2:11; IV from 2:12 to 3:15; V from 3:16 to 3:31; VI from 4:1 to 5:7; VII from 5:8 to 5:16; VIII from 5:17 to 6:15; IX from 6:16 to 8:8; X from 8:9 to 8:39; XIII from 11:13 to 12:15; XIV from 12:16 to 14:10; XV from 14:11 to the end; Galatians I from 1:1 to 2:2; II from 2:3 to 3:4; III from 3:5 to 4:5; IV from 4:6 to 5:5; and V from 5:6 to 6:18; the commentary on Philippians extended to 4:1; and on Ephesians to 4:13).}}