Guarding The Vine

Πιάσατε ἡμιν ἀλώπεκας μικροὺς ἀφανίζοντας ἀμπελῶνας, καὶ αἱ ἄμπελοι ἡμῶν κυρπρίζουσιν. Ταῦτα τοῖς φίλοις ὁ νυμφίος, ἤτοι ἀγγέλιος ἢ ἀνδράσιν ἀγίοις, ὅσοι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διδάσκαλοι· ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας δὲ τῶν ἀμπελώνων ἡ προτροπή ἵνα τῶν πανούργων συλλαμβανομένων δυνάμεων, αἵ διαφθείρουσαι τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς ἐκφύσεως τοῦ καρποῦ, δυνηθῶσιν αἱ ἄμπελοι προκόψαι ἀπὸ τοῦ κυπρίζειν μέχρι τῆς τοῦ καρποῦ τελειώσεως, ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεωργούμεναι· διὰ δὲ τὸ αὐτεξουσιν δυνάμεναι ἐνέγκαι καρπόν τι καὶ μή· ἤ τάχα καὶ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλώπεκές τινες δι' ἑτεροδόξου δριμύτητος ἐμποδίζοντες τοῖς ἀρξαμένοις τρέχειν καλῶς· οὔς ἔτι μικροὺς ὄντας βούλεται συλληφθῆναι πρὶν ἐπιπλέον ἀσεβείας προκόψωσι· μέγας γὰρ ἀλώπηξ γενόμενος, ἐκείνοις μὲν ἀνάλωτος, ὑπὸ μόνοῦ δὲ τοῦ νυμφίου θηρεύεται· ἀρχόμενοι γὰρ ἐνεργεῖν τὰ χείρονα, καὶ τοῖς φίλοις εὐάλωτοι· λεγει δ' ἄν καὶ μικροὺς τοὺς ἀμπελῶνας· οὐ δύναται γὰρ κατὰ τῶν μεγάλων ἀλώπηξ. Ὠριγένης, Εἰς Τo Ἀσμα Των Ἀσμάτων, Κεφάλαιον Β' Source: Migne PG 17.265a-b

Seize the little foxes which ruin the vines, our vines that are flowering. 1 The groom says this to his friends, either angels, or holy men, that is, teachers of the Church; it is an exhortation to look to the safety of the vines against those who joined together in villainy would ruin the first budding of the fruit, that they are able to assist the vines to come from flower to perfect maturity, with God's care, with free will to bear the fruit, or not to bear it. Or perhaps it may be that the men who are like these foxes on account of bitter heterodoxy are better impeded at their beginnings. So they who are yet young He wishes seized before they advance into greater impiety. For the great foxes are unconquerable by all unless by the groom himself. The friends more may easily lay hold of evils in the beginning. And he calls them little who seek the vines because they will not be capable against the great foxes. Origen, from the Commentary On The Song Of Songs, Chapter 2 1 Song 2.15