# 2 Clement 16.4

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [2 Clement](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/2-clement/) (*Clementis ad Corinthios epistula secunda*)
- Date: ca. 100–150 (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:154–156; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 128–161 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912-1913), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/2-clement/16/4/

Summary: Almsgiving, fasting, prayer, and love: almsgiving lightens sin.

## Greek text

καλὸν οὖν ἐλεημοσύνη ὡς μετάνοια ἁμαρτίας· κρείσσων νηστεία προσευχῆς, ἐλεημοσύνη δὲ ἀμφοτέρων· ἀγάπη δὲ καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν, προσευχὴ δὲ ἐκ καλῆς συνειδήσεως ἐκ θανάτου ῥύεται. μακάριος πᾶς ὁ εὑρεθεὶς ἐν τούτοις πλήρης· ἐλεημοσύνη γὰρ κούφισμα ἁμαρτίας γίνεται.

## English translation (Claude)

Almsgiving, then, is good, as repentance from sin. Fasting is better than prayer, and almsgiving than both; and “love covers a multitude of sins,” and prayer from a good conscience rescues from death. Blessed is everyone who is found full of these; for almsgiving lightens sin.

## Scripture references

- 1 Pet 4:8: quotation, high confidence
- Prov 10:12: allusion, medium confidence
- Jas 5:20: echo, low confidence

## Extrabiblical texts

- Tob 12:8-9 (Tobit): allusion, medium confidence

## Translation notes

- The ranking of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving is unusual, and the sentence may be corrupt. The teaching that almsgiving lessens sin follows Jewish tradition (Tob 12:8–9).

## Citation (SBL)

2 Clem. 16.4 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/2-clement/16/4/).