Concerning Captivity

Jam captivitas imminebat, et adhuc adhortabatur Deus tribuens, ut ita dicam, et ante unam diem locum poenitentiae: unde scriptum est, usque ad captivitatem Jerusalem, et usque ad quintum mensem prophetasse Jeremiam. Jam hostium vincula restrinxerant manus, et nihilominus haec quodammodo dicebat Deus: Ecce captivi facti estis: agite, licet sero, poenitentiam: rogate me, et parcam vobis: possum eruere de captivitate, qui tradidi. Habemus itaque quaedam necessaria ex superscriptione ista, quae continet tempora prophetiae, quia juxta suam clementiam exhortatur Deus semper homines ad salutem, ut, cessante delicto, etiam captivitas conquiescat. Haec autem et de nobis possumus intelligere: si peccaverimus, et nos captivi futuri sumus. Etenim tradi peccatorem Satanae, nihil distat ab eo quod Judaei sunt traditi Nabuchodonosor. Utque illos Deus concessit adversario, propter frequentes impietates; sic nos propter peccata quae fecimus, tradimur spiritali Nabuchodonosor: et quos tradidi, inquit, Satanae, ut discant non blasphemare, Apostolus de aliis peccatoribus. Puta quantum malum est peccare, ut tradamur Satanae captivanti animos eorum qui relinquuntur a Deo. Non sine causa autem, neque sine judicio Deus relinquit quos deserit. Cum enim miserit pluviam super vineam, et vinea pro uva attulerit spinas, quid faciet, nisi ut mandet nubibus, ne pluant super eam imbrem? Quapropter in proximo est propter delicta nostra, quorum nobis conscii sumus, et nos captivari. Origenes,Homiliae XIV in Jeremiam, Homilia I, Interprete Hieronymo Stridonensis Source: Migne PL 25.586c-587b

Captivity was imminent, and yet the Lord still exhorted, giving a place of penance even one day before, whence it is written that even to the capture of Jerusalem and even to the fifth month Jeremiah made prophecy. 1 Then even with the fetters of the enemy on the hands, nevertheless the Lord spoke in this manner, 'Behold you have been made captive, but even though it is so late make penance. Ask of me and I will spare you. I who handed you over can bring you out of captivity.' Thus we may identify a certain necessity from what is written, which the times of the prophecy contains, because according to His mercy God is always exhorting men to salvation, so that by ceasing to sin they might overcome captivity. We are even able to understand these things of ourselves, that if we sin we shall be made captive. Indeed 'I have given the sinner to Satan,' 2 is no different from the Jews being given to Nabuchodonosor. Thus as God gave them to the adversary because of their repeated wickedness, so on account of the sins we commit we are given over to the spiritual Nabuchodonosor. 'Who I have given to Satan, so that they learn not to blaspheme,' 3 the Apostle says of other sinners. Think how grave an evil it is to sin, because of which we are given to Satan with the captive souls of those who have forsaken God. It is not without cause or reason that God abandoned those who deserted Him. For when He sends rain upon the vine and it brings forth thorns rather than grapes, what shall He do but command the clouds not to rain on it? 4 Which is imminent on account of our sins, which makes us their associates, and leads us into captivity. Origen, Fourteen Homilies on Jeremiah, from the First Homily, Translated by Saint Jerome. 1 Jerem 1.3 2 1 Cor 5.5 3 1 Tim 1.20 4 Isaiah 5.1-6