Miscellanies 2.15.65

Summary: The psalm distinguishes sins wiped out, covered, not counted, and forgiven; this blessing belongs to those chosen through Christ; love covers sins and God, who prefers repentance, wipes them out.

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Greek text · Stählin 2:148

Ταύτας δʼ αἰνίσσεται τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τὰς διαφορὰς ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς μακαρίους λέγων ὧν ὁ θεὸς τὰς μὲν ἀπήλειψεν ἀνομίας, τὰς δὲ ἐπεκάλυψεν ἁμαρτίας, οὐκ ἐλογίσατό τε τὰς ἄλλας καὶ ἀφῆκε τὰς λοιπάς. γέγραπται γάρ· ›μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι, καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι· μακάριος ἀνὴρ ᾧ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται κύριος ἁμαρτίαν, οὐδὲ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος·‹ οὗτος ὁ μακαρισμὸς ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐκλελεγμένους ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν. καλύπτει μὲν γὰρ ἀγάπη πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν, ἀπαλείφει δὲ ὁ τὴν μετάνοιαν μᾶλλον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ἢ τὸν θάνατον αἱρούμενος.

English · Claude translation

The psalmist hints at these differences among sins when he calls blessed those some of whose lawless acts God has wiped out, some of whose sins he has covered, others he has not counted, and the rest he has forgiven. For it is written: “Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not count sin, and in whose mouth there is no deceit.” This blessing came upon those who have been chosen by God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For “love covers a multitude of sins,” and he who chooses the repentance of the sinner rather than his death wipes them out.

About this passage

Source
Stählin 2:148 · Otto Stählin, ed., Clemens Alexandrinus, vol. 2, Stromata Buch I–VI, GCS 15 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1906); vol. 3, Stromata Buch VII und VIII, GCS 17 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1909) · Greek text: Otto Stählin, Clemens Alexandrinus 2–3 (GCS 15, 17, 1906–1909), digitized by the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0
Translation
Claude translation (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 · Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Stählin (1906–1909); made independently of existing English translations.
Scripture
  • Ps 32:1 (31:1 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
  • Ps 32:2 (31:2 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
  • Rom 4:7 · quotation, medium confidence
  • Rom 4:8 · quotation, medium confidence
  • 1 Pet 4:8 · quotation, high confidence
  • Ezek 18:23 · allusion, high confidence
Extrabiblical texts
  • 1 Clem. 50.6–7 (1 Clement) · quotation, high confidence
Topics
Ethics

Notes

Translation notes

  • The quotations are Ps 32:1–2 (31:1–2 LXX; Rom 4:7–8), taken together with the next sentence (“This blessing came … our Lord”) from 1 Clem. 50.6–7, 1 Pet 4:8 (1 Clem. 49.5), and Ezek 18:23.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (wrong accent on τὰς): ἀφῆκε τᾶς λοιπάς → ἀφῆκε τὰς λοιπάς.

Cite this passage

Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.15.65 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/15/65/).

Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.15.65 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/15/65/).

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