Sophia Scriptura

The Instructor 1.9.86

Clement of Alexandria · The Instructor · ca. 190–200 · Alexandria · Read in context

Summary: Israel's unfaithfulness brought judgment, and they returned to God through fear, having despised his kindness; fear serves love.

Greek text · Stählin 1:140

περὶ τούτων καὶ διὰ Δαβὶδ λέγει· »γενεὰ σκολιὰ καὶ παραπικραίνουσα, γενεὰ ἥτις οὐ κατεύθυνεν τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστώθη μετὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῆς. οὐκ ἐφυλάξαντο τὴν διαθήκην τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἤθελον πορεύεσθαι.« αὗται αἰτίαι παραπικρασμοῦ, διʼ ἃς ὁ κριτὴς ἔρχεται τὴν δίκην ἐποίσων τοῖς τὴν εὐζωΐαν ἑλέσθαι μὴ βεβουλημένοις. διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς τραχύτερον ἐνθένδε προσενήνεκται, εἴ πως ἀναχαιτίσαι τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν θάνατον ὁρμῆς. λέγει γοῦν διὰ Δαβὶδ σαφεστάτην αἰτίαν τῆς ἀπειλῆς· »οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν ἐν τοῖς θαυμασίοις αὐτοῦ. ὅταν ἀπέκτεννεν αὐτούς, ἐξεζήτουν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπέστρεφον καὶ ὤρθριζον πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς βοηθὸς αὐτῶν ἐστιν καὶ ὁ θεὸς ὁ ὕψιστος λυτρωτὴς αὐτῶν ἐστιν.« οὕτως οἶδεν ἐπιστρέφοντας αὐτοὺς διὰ τὸν φόβον, τῆς δὲ φιλανθρωπίας αὐτοῦ καταπεφρονηκότας. ὀλιγωρεῖται μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἐπίπαν τὸ ἀγαθὸν χρηστευόμενον ἀεί, θεραπεύεται δὲ ὑπομιμνῇσκον τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ τῆς δικαιοσύνης φόβῳ.

English · Claude translation

Of these he says also through David: “A crooked and embittering generation, a generation that did not set its heart right, and whose spirit was not faithful to God. They did not keep God's covenant, and would not walk in his law.” These are the causes of the provocation, for which the Judge comes to bring punishment on those who did not choose to live well. That is why he has dealt more harshly with them from then on, to check, if possible, their rush toward death. Through David he gives the clearest reason for the threat: “They did not believe in his wonders. When he slew them, they sought him and turned back and rose early to seek God, and remembered that God is their helper, and God Most High their redeemer.” So he knows that they turn back through fear, having despised his love for humankind. For goodness that is always kind is generally slighted, but it is honored when it reminds us by the loving fear of justice.

About this passage

Source
Stählin 1:140 · Otto Stählin, ed., Clemens Alexandrinus, vol. 1, Protrepticus und Paedagogus, GCS 12 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1905) · Greek text: Otto Stählin, Clemens Alexandrinus 1: Protrepticus und Paedagogus (GCS 12, 1905), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0
Translation
Claude translation (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26 · Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Stählin (1905); made independently of existing English translations.
Scripture
  • Ps 78:8 (77:8 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
  • Ps 78:10 (77:10 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
  • Ps 78:32 (77:32 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
  • Ps 78:34 (77:34 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
  • Ps 78:35 (77:35 LXX) · quotation, high confidence

Notes

Translation notes

  • The quotations are Ps 78:8, 10 (77:8, 10 LXX) and Ps 78:32, 34–35 (77:32, 34–35 LXX).

Cite this passage

Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 1.9.86 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/1/9/86/).

Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 1.9.86 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/1/9/86/).

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