Nielsen’s Nook

Translation

1 Finally, after the lawless ones saw that Polycarp’s body could not be consumed [a] by the fire, they ordered an executioner [b] to approach and run him through [c] with a short sword. [d] After the executioner did this, a great quantity[e] of blood came [f] from Polycarp’s body, so that the fire was extinguished. The entire crowd was amazed that [g] there was so stark a difference between [h] the faithless and the elect.

[a] δαπανηθῆναι (δαπανάω) The proconsul had threatened to consume St. Polycarp with flames in §11.2; here the same word for consume is used showing that the proconsul has been thwarted.

[b] The κομφέκτωρ was the executioner on hand in the arena who “gave the coup de grâce to wounded gladiators” (BAGD, 443). Indeed, St. Polycarp had taken on a wild lion but the lawless crowd. The executioner came not to end the suffering but to allow the proconsul to not lose control of the crowd that he might save face.

[c] παραβῦσαι (παραβύσω) to stuff or insert (Liddell, H.G., Intermediate Greek English Lexicon, 594). Liddell further notes, regarding βύω (βύω > βύσω > παραβύσω), that when used with the dative it may mean to stop or to bung up with, to plug (p 158).

[d] ξιφίδιον short sword, dagger (BAGD, 548).

[e] πλῆθος BAGD, 668.

[f] περιστερὰ καὶ “and a dove” is noted in Lightfoot as questionable. The shorter reading being preferred, it is omitted here. Lake writes in a footnote, “This no doubt points to the belief that the spirit appears at death in the form of a bird. Cf. Prudentius Peristeph Hymn. iii. 33.” (Apostolic Fathers, vol 2, p 333). Holmes annotates, “The reference to the dove is almost certainly a later addition to the text (possibly by the Pionius mentioned in the last paragraph of the epilogue” (The Apostolic Fathers, 239).

[g] εἰ after verbs of emotion (i.e., θαυμάσαι) is rendered as “that” (BAGD, 219).

[h] τις διαφορὰ μεταξὺ a difference between someone and another (BAGD, 190), which in this case is between the faithless (ἀπίστων) and the elect or those God has chose for salvation (ἐκλεκτῶν). Consider Didache 1:1, Ὁδοὶ δύο εἰσί, μία τῆς ζωῆς καὶ μία τοῦ θανάτου, διαφορὰ δὲ πολλὴ μεταξὺ τῶν δύο όδῶν. There are two ways. One is of life and one is of death, and the difference between the two is great (author’s translation). See also the Epistle of Barnabas 18:1, διαφορὰ δὲ πολλὴ τῶν δύο ὁδῶν. There is a great difference between the two [ways] (author’s translation).