Miscellanies 1.13.58
Summary: Ecclesiastes and Proverbs praise abundant wisdom; the one versed in every kind of wisdom, Greek and barbarian, is truly knowing; wisdom is worth more than gold.
Greek text · Stählin 2:37
γέγραπται γοῦν ἐν τῷ Ἐκκλησιαστῇ· καὶ προσέθηκα σοφίαν ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, οἳ δὴ ἐγένοντο ἔμπροσθέν μου ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ ἡ καρδία μου εἶδεν πολλά, σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν, παραβολὰς καὶ ἐπιστήμην ἔγνων. ὅτι καί γε τοῦτό ἐστι προαίρεσις πνεύματος, ὅτι ἐν πλήθει σοφίας πλῆθος γνώσεως. ὁ δὲ τῆς παντοδαπῆς σοφίας ἔμπειρος, οὗτος κυρίως ἂν εἴη γνωστικός. αὐτίκα γέγραπται· περισσεία γνώσεως τῆς σοφίας ζωοποιήσει τὸν παρʼ αὐτῆς. πάλιν τε αὖ βεβαιοῖ σαφέστερον τὰ εἰρημένα ἥδε ἡ ῥῆσις· πάντα ἐνώπια τοῖς νοοῦσι (τὰ δὲ πάντα Ἑλληνικά ἐστι καὶ βαρβαρικά, θάτερα δὲ οὐκέτι πάντα), ὀρθὰ δὲ τοῖς βουλομένοις ἀπενέγκασθαι αἴσθησιν. ἀνθαιρεῖσθε παιδείαν καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον, καὶ γνῶσιν ὑπὲρ χρυσίον δεδοκιμασμένον, ἀνθαιρεῖσθε δὲ καὶ αἴσθησιν χρυσίου καθαροῦ· κρείσσων γὰρ σοφία λίθων πολυτελῶν, πᾶν δὲ τίμιον οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτῆς.
English · Claude translation
At any rate it is written in Ecclesiastes: “And I added wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem; and my heart saw many things, wisdom and knowledge; I knew parables and understanding. And this too is a choice of the spirit, that in abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge.” The one experienced in wisdom of every kind would properly be the one who knows. Thus it is written: “The abundance of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to the one who has it.” And again this saying confirms more clearly what has been said: “All things are plain to those who understand” (and all things are Greek and barbarian; the one without the other is no longer all), “and right to those who wish to receive perception. Choose instruction and not silver, and knowledge above tested gold; choose also perception rather than pure gold; for wisdom is better than precious stones, and nothing of value is worthy of it.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Eccl 1:16–18 (LXX), Eccl 7:12 (LXX), and Prov 8:9–11.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (words repeated in the digital text): καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον → καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.13.58 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/13/58/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.13.58 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/13/58/).
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