Exhortation to the Greeks 10.107
Summary: Whoever seeks God finds life; the human being in whom the virtues are written is God's hymn, and wisdom makes good fathers, sons, husbands, and masters.
Greek text · Stählin 1:76–77
ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεὸν τὴν ἰδίαν πολυπραγμονεῖ σωτηρίαν· εὗρες τὸν θεόν, ἔχεις τὴν ζωήν. ζητήσωμεν οὖν, ἵνα καὶ ζήσωμεν. ὁ μισθὸς τῆς εὑρέσεως ζωὴ παρὰ θεῷ. »ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν ἐπὶ σοὶ πάντες οἱ ζητοῦντές σε καὶ λεγέτωσαν διὰ παντός, μεγαλυνθήτω ὁ θεός.« καλὸς ὕμνος τοῦ θεοῦ ἀθάνατος ἄνθρωπος, δικαιοσύνῃ οἰκοδομούμενος, ἐν ᾧ τὰ λόγια τῆς ἀληθείας ἐγκεχάρακται. ποῦ γὰρ ἀλλαχόθι ἢ ἐν σώφρονι ψυχῇ δικαιοσύνην ἐγγραπτέον; ποῦ ἀγάπην; αἰδῶ δὲ ποῦ; πραότητα δὲ ποῦ; ταύτας, οἶμαι, τὰς θείας γραφὰς ἐναποσφραγισαμένους χρὴ τῇ ψυχῇ καλὸν ἀφετήριον σοφίαν ἡγεῖσθαι τοῖς ἐφʼ ὁτιοῦν τοῦ βίου τραπεῖσι μέρος, ὅρμον τε τὴν αὐτὴν ἀκύμονα σωτηρίας σοφίαν νομίζειν· διʼ ἣν ἀγαθοὶ μὲν πατέρες τέκνων οἱ τῷ πατρὶ προσδεδραμηκότες, ἀγαθοὶ δὲ γονεῦσιν υἱοὶ οἱ τὸν υἱὸν νενοηκότες, ἀγαθοὶ δὲ ἄνδρες γυναικῶν οἱ μεμνημένοι τοῦ νυμφίου, ἀγαθοὶ δὲ οἰκετῶν δεσπόται οἱ τῆς
English · Claude translation
Whoever seeks God is concerned for his own salvation. Have you found God? You have life. Let us seek, then, that we may also live. The reward of finding is life with God. “Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you, and let them say continually, May God be magnified.” A beautiful hymn to God is an immortal human being, built up in righteousness, on whom the oracles of truth are engraved. For where else should righteousness be written but in a self-controlled soul? Where love? Where modesty? Where gentleness? Those who have sealed these divine writings in their soul should consider wisdom a good starting point, whatever part of life they have turned to, and should consider the same wisdom a calm harbor of salvation. Through her, those who have run to the Father are good fathers to their children; those who have understood the Son are good sons to their parents; those who remember the Bridegroom are good husbands to their wives; and those who have been ransomed from the utmost slavery are good masters to their servants.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotation is Ps 40:16 (39:17 LXX; compare Ps 70:4). The household pattern recalls Eph 5:22–6:9.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Protr. 10.107 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-protrepticus/10/107/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Protr. 10.107 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-protrepticus/10/107/).
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