The Instructor 1.5.12
Summary: The “children” of Scripture are the believers: Jesus calls his disciples children, blesses children, and tells us to become like them.
Greek text · Stählin 1:96–97
Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἡ παιδαγωγία παίδων ἐστὶν ἀγωγή, σαφὲς ἐκ τοῦ ὀνόματος· λοιπὸν δέ ἐστι τοὺς παῖδας ἐπιθεωρῆσαι, οὓς αἰνίττεται ἡ γραφή, εἶτα τὸν παιδαγωγὸν αὐτοῖς ἐπιστῆσαι. οἱ παῖδες ἡμεῖς· πολλαχῶς δὲ ἡμᾶς ἐξυμνεῖ πολυτρόπως τε ἀλληγορεῖ ὀνόμασι ποικίλοις τὸ ἀφελὲς τῆς πίστεως ἐξαλλάττουσα ἡ γραφή. ἐν γοῦν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ· »σταθείς«, φησίν, »ὁ κύριος ἐπὶ τῷ αἰγιαλῷ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς (ἁλιεύοντες δὲ ἔτυχον) ἐνεφώνησέν [τε], παιδία, μή τι ὄψον ἔχετε;« τοὺς ἤδη ἐν ἕξει τῶν γνωρίμων παῖδας προσειπών. »προσήνεγκάν τε αὐτῷ«, φησί, »παιδία« εἰς χειροθεσίαν εὐλογίας, κωλυόντων δὲ τῶν γνωρίμων, εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς »ἄφετε τὰ παιδία καὶ μὴ κωλύετε αὐτὰ ἐλθεῖν πρός με· τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.« τί βούλεται τὸ λεχθέν, αὐτὸς διασαφήσει ὁ κύριος λέγων »ἐὰν μὴ στραφῆτε καὶ γένησθε ὡς τὰ παιδία ταῦτα, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν,« οὐ τὴν ἀναγέννησιν ἐνταῦθα ἀλληγορῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐν παισὶν ἁπλότητα εἰς ἐξομοίωσιν παρακατατιθέμενος ἡμῖν. τοὺς παῖδας [ἡμᾶς] καὶ τὸ προφητικὸν ἐκλέγεται πνεῦμα· »δρεψάμενοι«, φησί, »κλάδους ἐλαίας ἢ φοινίκων οἱ παῖδες ἐξῆλθον εἰς ὑπάντησιν κυρίῳ καὶ ἐκέκραγον λέγοντες, ὡσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ Δαβίδ, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου,« φῶς καὶ δόξα καὶ αἶνος μεθʼ ἱκετηρίας τῷ κυρίῳ· τουτὶ
English · Claude translation
That the instruction of children (paidagōgia) is the training of children (paides) is clear from the word itself. It remains to consider the children whom Scripture means, and then to set the Instructor over them. We are the children. Scripture praises us in many ways and speaks of us allegorically in many forms, varying the simplicity of faith with a range of names. In the Gospel, for instance, it says: “The Lord stood on the shore and called to the disciples (they happened to be fishing): Children, have you any fish?” calling them children, though they were already disciples. “And they brought to him children,” it says, for the laying on of hands in blessing, and when his disciples prevented them, Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” What the saying means, the Lord himself will make plain, saying, “Unless you turn and become like these children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Here he is not speaking figuratively of rebirth, but setting before us the simplicity of children for us to imitate. The prophetic Spirit too chooses us as children: “Having cut branches of olive or palm,” it says, “the children went out to meet the Lord and cried out, saying, Hosanna to the son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Light and glory and praise, with supplication, to the Lord: this is what “Hosanna” means when translated into Greek.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are John 21:4–5, Matt 19:13–14 (Mark 10:13–14), Matt 18:3, and Matt 21:8–9 with John 12:13. Clement's explanation of “Hosanna” is his own; the Hebrew means “save, please.”
- The sentence runs into the next section; the translation completes it here.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray space before the closing quotation mark): ῶν, « → ῶν,«; ου, « → ου,«.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 1.5.12 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/1/5/12/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 1.5.12 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/1/5/12/).
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